Love Unexpected
by Mademoisella
Summary: "How about we have a battle right now?" May smirked and turned her head slightly to the side to face him. "Alright, why not? I'll volunteer us right now." She began to raise her hand, but Drew pulled it back down. "I want to make it more fun, though," he told her, and she cocked an eyebrow at him, urging him to go on. "If you lose, you'll have to travel with me after graduation."
1. New Kid In School

**Update April 2013: **This story is currently being revised to treat the writing errors that I'd made in the original versions of the chapters. However, nothing in the story will be changed. The original plot, characters, and events will remain the same.

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><p>Hi there guys! Thanks for choosing to check out my second Contestshipping fanfiction. If you're a new reader, my name's Nikki and you can expect a lot of Contestshipping fanfictions from me because I absolutely <em>love<em> this couple. If you're an old reader, welcome back :) Anyways, I'm going to spare you guys from a long introduction and just let you get right into the chapter. Just please remember to review after you read! Happy reading :)

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except for the plot and the few characters that I made up. All information on the characters and Pokémon were provided by Serebii, Bulbapedia and my own knowledge from the anime and games.

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 1<strong>

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><p>Not caring, not curious, not interested—those were the three things that described May Maple as she sat at her desk in Room 249C of Lilycove University High, where her Pokémon Contest Appeals class was taking place. She appeared for all the world to be paying attention to the lesson when in reality, she was secretly thumbing a text on her PokéNav to her one of her best friends, Gary Oak, under her desk.<p>

Two seats behind her, another one of her best friends, Dawn Berlitz, had put down her own PokéNav to look up to the front of the room—just like everyone else in the class—where a new male student was being introduced by the teacher, Mrs. Pennington.

"Class, I'd like you to all meet Andrew Hayden. He has just transferred here from LaRousse City and will be joining us for the rest of the year, so please help make him feel welcome," the kind fifty-seven-year-old woman said in a friendly tone, completely oblivious to the way the class had already welcomed Andrew.

The guys had all looked away from Andrew, either from loss of interest or jealousy at their new threat. Meanwhile, the girls remained transfixed by him, their mouths slightly agape in awe. His tousled green hair, his emerald green eyes, his chiseled face, his tall, toned body—everything about him captured their attention. They found themselves unable to look away.

The boy was not unaware of this fact. "Please call me Drew," he requested with a smirk on his face as he scanned the females in the room. He was rather pleased when he noted that he had dazzled them more with his handsome smirk.

But then his pleasure was met by disappointment when his eyes fell on a girl in the room, the only one not looking at him. Her eyes were suspiciously glued to something in her lap. He took note of this and resisted the urge to frown in dismay. He was not accustomed to being ignored by members of the opposite gender. The feeling was foreign to him and he loathed it, but he refused to show his irritation over some girl who had yet to show her face. Perhaps she had not yet seen his face from behind the curtain of her brunette hair. Surely she would become interested when she got a look at him.

At least the rest of the girls in the room were clearly attracted to him.

Beside Drew, the short Mrs. Pennington continued to smile.

"Of course, Drew. You may take the last empty seat beside Lily," she said, giving him a pat on the back before she turned to the class. "Lily? Could you raise your hand please?"

Lily, a pretty girl with long, plum colored hair, shot her hand up into the air. Her eagerness to have the hot new student sit beside her was evident, earning her a couple of dirty looks from her fellow female classmates. She received more after Drew sat down in his assigned seat and gave her a smile. The poor girl nearly shriveled up under their heated glares.

After Drew's introduction was over, Mrs. Pennington retired to her desk to prepare for the day's lesson. Animated conversations buzzed in the air as everyone began to discuss Drew, who had already begun to chat up Lily. The girls who sat around them made their attempts to enter the conversation, some succeeding and others failing. Dawn, who sat two rows down from where Drew was sitting, studied him inconspicuously. When a thoughtful opinion of him developed in her mind, she turned her attention to her PokéNav to thumb a text to May, whose attention had yet to leave her own.

**December 2, 8:13am**  
><strong>To:<strong> May  
><strong>From:<strong> Dawn  
><em>New kid's pretty cute, don't you think?<em>

May frowned down disapprovingly at the text message that her PokéNav currently displayed on its screen. Her thumbs danced across the keyboard to type a response.

**December 2, 8:13am**  
><strong>To:<strong> Dawn  
><strong>From:<strong> May  
><em>Don't you have a boyfriend?<em>

**December 2, 8:14am**  
><strong>To:<strong> May  
><strong>From:<strong> Dawn  
><em>Yes, but he's not here now is he? ;)<em>

At the last text, May snapped her head up and swept her hair back from in front of her face to look over at Dawn. The girl stared back at her with a naughty glint and a mischievous grin, eliciting a loud laugh from May. Some students broke away from their conversations to look over at her. Mrs. Pennington peered up from her glasses.

"That's not a PokéNav in your lap, I hope, Ms. Maple," she expressed disapprovingly though her face clearly hid amusement.

May hiccuped a final giggle and indiscreetly cupped her PokéNav in between her hands. "Absolutely not, Mrs. Pennington," she assured with an exaggeratedly innocent smile.

Mrs. Pennington simply chuckled and looked away from May to shuffle some papers.

Drew, on the other hand, found himself unable to look away from May. She sat a few seats away from him, but she had caught his attention the second she had laughed—and she was continuing to hold it. She had already returned her attention to her PokéNav when the teacher had looked away, but her hair was tucked behind one ear this time, allowing him full view of her face. His mouth was slightly agape as he took her in.

She was a modest kind of attractive, yet impossibly alluring. Her skin was a creamy ivory tone, void of any blemishes save for the bit of darkness beneath her eyes, but it did not take away from their beauty. They were a brilliant sapphire blue color, framed by her full and slightly arched eyebrows. Her nose was not too high though it was slightly too wide, but it did suit her. Her pink lips were the only feature that seemed to be unfit for her face. They were almost too sexy for her otherwise youthful features, and Drew wondered how it would feel to kiss them. He unconsciously licked his own lips as he pondered over the feeling.

She was intriguing. Beautiful. _Breathtaking__._ He could not look away from her, even when she and the rest of the class looked up at the front of the room. It was not until an amused smile began to play at the corner of her lips that he actually turned away to follow her stare.

The room had gone quiet when a girl with black hair appeared in the doorway. It was clear that she had just run to class as she gripped the doorway to catch her breath. An exasperated grin stretched across her lips as she heard the snickers of some of her friends in the class, including Dawn and May. When she was able to compose herself enough, she began to make her way to Mrs. Pennington's desk.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Mrs. Pennington. My usual ride to school failed me, so I had to ride my dragonite, but I ended up getting lost," she explained, offering the teacher a sheepish smile.

"You're only lucky that the lesson has yet to start, Ms. Ko," Mrs. Pennington said with a stern expression. But then, she chuckled and waved her hand dismissively. "Go to your seat, Natalie."

"Thank you, Mrs. Pennington!" Natalie said, smiling graciously, and then turned in the direction of her seat.

She walked a few steps before she realized that there was someone occupying her desk. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she turned back to look at Mrs. Pennington.

"Uh, Mrs. Pennington? There's someone in my seat," she noted.

Mrs. Pennington's eyes traveled up from the binder that she was flipping through to look up at Natalie, and then over at Natalie's seat. Her eyes landed on Drew, who was slightly slouched in the seat with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He cocked an eyebrow at both of them, wondering if he was about to be asked to moved and not liking the idea.

"Oh goodness, how silly of me, I assigned Drew the wrong seat," she chuckled with a shake of her head. "Drew, honey, you can take the seat in the seat next to May. May, raise your hand please."

Said girl flinched at the sound of her name and directed her glance to the front of the room. With the hand that she had been using to text, she quickly slipped her PokéNav into her boot while she raised the hand that she had been propping her head on. Her eyes were wide with surprise and exaggerated innocence.

Drew suppressed the urge to chuckle as he turned his head to look at her along with most of the class. One look at her and he immediately rose from the seat, convinced that this class was going to be a fun one. He struggled to contain his excitement as he waited for Natalie to arrive at her seat.

"I'm sorry for taking your seat," he apologized with a charming smirk as he gestured to the chair. "You can have it back now."

"Thanks," Natalie replied sweetly, the corner of her lips raised in a smirk of her own.

She managed to catch a good glimpse Drew as he passed her, noting that she had never seen him before. After a quick assessment of him from head to toe with her eyes, she decided that he was rather attractive. The moment she slipped into her seat, she pulled out her PokéNav to send texts to Dawn and May to inquire details about him.

**December 2, 8:19am**  
><strong>To:<strong> Dawn, May  
><strong>From:<strong> Natalie  
><em>Has that guy always been in our class?<em>

**December 2, 8:19am**  
><strong>To:<strong> Natalie  
><strong>From:<strong> May  
><em>Nope.<em>

**December 2, 8:19am**  
><strong>To:<strong> Dawn, May  
><strong>From:<strong> Natalie  
><em>Thought so. I'd notice someone that hot.<em>

**December 2, 8:20am**  
><strong>To:<strong> May, Natalie  
><strong>From:<strong> Dawn  
><em>See? I'm not the only one that thinks so!<em>

**December 2, 8:20am**  
><strong>To:<strong> Dawn, Natalie  
><strong>From:<strong> May  
><em>You both have boyfriends!<em>

**December 2, 8:20am**  
><strong>To:<strong> May  
><strong>From:<strong> Natalie  
><em>So?<em>

**December 2, 8:21am**  
><strong>To:<strong> May  
><strong>From:<strong> Dawn  
><em>So?<em>

At the last sent text, Dawn stifled a giggle and Natalie bit back a laugh. Snapping their PokéNavs shut, they turned to look at May. She rolled her eyes at them for their behavior, but it was evident that she was not actually annoyed.

As Mrs. Pennington stepped up to the board at the front of the room, May shut her PokéNav, too, and retrieved her pen in preparation for any notes. From the corner of her eye, she saw Drew kid sitting down in the empty seat beside her, but she paid him no mind until he spoke up.

"Hi, I'm Drew Hayden," he said, a kind smile in place of his smirk as he offered his hand.

"Hey. May Maple, nice to meet you," she replied, returning his smile as she took his hand.

The handshake between them lasted longer than average, making May slightly uncomfortable. When Drew finally let go, she immediately tucked her hand in toward her stomach and returned her full attention to the front board.

Drew watched her as she did so, noting her disinterest again with frustration. He didn't understand it, didn't understand her. He didn't understand why she wasn't immediately inquiring details about him, or at least showing interest like all of the other girls. They had all pined for his attention, nearly squealing with delight when they managed to capture some of it. This girl, May, didn't even seem to care whether or not she got any of his attention. In fact, she didn't even bother to give him any of hers. And it annoyed him. Annoyed him _beyond belief_.

"Do you not like me very much?" he blurted, unable to contain himself as his frustration grew with every second he spent pondering over her lack of interest in him.

To his relief, May actually turned to him despite her not being sure if his question was directed at her or not. When she saw that he was looking at her, her eyebrows knitted together.

"What makes you think that?" she asked.

"Well, for starters, you don't seem to be as interested in me as your other female classmates are," he told her, sounding like a professor who was trying to decipher a new discovery, as if her disinterest was truly something mind-boggling and unexplainable.

May rolled her eyes at him, unable to believe his arrogance. "Not every girl is going to swoon over you. There's bound to be one who isn't interested," she deadpanned and turned away, prepared to leave their conversation at that and ignore the arrogant boy for the rest of class. Or the school year.

Drew, however, did not seem ready to drop their conversation. He ignored the sting of her comment and forced a smirk.

"There never has been," he remarked in response.

That got May's attention. She snapped her head in his direction, her mouth slightly agape in disbelief. How was it possible that someone could be that openly conceited? His smirk seemed to be _screaming_ the word _arrogant_ while his eyes twinkled with a naughty glint similar to that of Dawn's earlier in the class. But unlike Dawn's, Drew's did not make May laugh. She would have gotten more pleasure from wiping it off of his face.

"I guess I'm the first then," she retorted and then turned away, determined more than ever to ignore him.

Luckily for May, Mrs. Pennington had turned around to shush the class in order to teach the lesson. It helped May for a moment, but after a few minutes, Drew was back to trying to draw her into conversation. May found herself constantly checking the clock and rolling her eyes.

The end of class just could not come fast enough.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well, what'd you think? Did you like it? Hate it? Think it was okay? What? Tell me in the reviews! Thanks for reading :)

Oh yeah, the character Natalie is basically based off of me. Just saying. :P


	2. Three Encounters In a Day

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>Thank you all so so much for all the reviewing, favoriting, and following you've done for the first chapter! I was so happy with the response, I didn't think I'd get a response like that, thanks a bunch! In return for the positive response, I rushed to get the second chapter up. Please keep the reviews coming! Hope you enjoy, happy reading! :)<p>

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>Claudette14:<strong>__ Hi there my first reviewer! You thought right, they are going to be traveling somewhere, but that is later on in the story! Sometime between the 8th-13th chapter perhaps? I haven't decided, stick around and find out!  
><em>_**KurunaGirl:**__ Yeah, I did spell 'hot' as 'hott' on purpose, I always thought there was an extra 't' added at the end when you're describing someone as 'hott' (good-looking). But thanks for the compliments! And I'm pretty sure you got your French right, trés bien! *pats back* :D  
><em>_**LuvAllPokemon:**__ Thank you so much!  
><em>_**Huss-Fuss123:**__ Aha! I literally laughed out loud at your review! :)  
><em>**_SiennaxShipper:_**_ I definitely will be continuing this story! In fact, here's me doing that right now :) Now my question is: will you continue reading this story?  
><em>**_LoveLoverGirl:_**_ Glad you think that! ;D  
><em>_**ch0c0latehell:**__ You have no idea how much your review meant to me! Hearing that really meant a lot and gave me all the more desire to write more! I really hope I don't disappoint you with the rest of this fanfiction and I will try my best to make it as interesting as possible! Thank you so so much!_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 2<strong>

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><p>The hands of the clock ticked closer and closer to the number twelve as May watched it in her Pokémon Regions History class, the second to last class of the day.<p>

She had always hated the class, considering it pointless with its useless information, endless amount of work (both in class and at home), and annoying teacher who droned on and on about the same thing for at least twenty minutes every class period. It was aggravating and boring, and it constantly gave May a headache that usually until the beginning of lunch, which was unfortunately at the very end of the day. All she could do until then was watch the clock, something she did every day in the class, and pray that the class would pass quickly. As of that moment, there was a minute and sixteen seconds left of class. An excrutiating minute and sixteen seconds.

"How about you give us the answer to the question, Ms. Maple?" came the monotonous drawl of the teacher Mr. Zion's voice.

The sound of it drew May's attention away from her clock watching to the creepy teacher standing at the front of the room beside the interactive whiteboard that was mounted on the wall.

The tall man, who stood with a slight hunchback, tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for her answer, his piercing black eyes boring into her sapphire blues. Every other pair of eyes in the room were directed at her as well. Everyone was waiting for her answer.

"Uh...," May eventually droned after a moment of uncomfortable silence. "What was the question again?"

The response earned her a couple of snickers from a few classmates and a disapproving frown from Mr. Zion, who grunted in frustration.

"Maybe if you were paying attention to the class instead of watching the clock, Ms. Maple, then you'd know," he drawled. "The question was—"

The bell chose to ring at that exact moment, successfully saving May from giving an answer to a question that she had not known in the first place and further annoying Mr. Zion, who exhaled strongly through his nose at her stroke of luck.

"All questions on pages 457 to 465 due tomorrow. Complete sentences," he boomed in anger, but his words were lost over the noise of the students gathering their books and hurrying to get to their next class. He could tell already that there would not be very much homework to collect the next day. The thought nearly pushed him over the edge.

"Does he honestly expect us to do all of those questions tonight?" Mikey, one of the only four friends that May had in their history class, asked her as the two walked out of the classroom together. "I'm just going to pretend like I didn't hear him."

The hallway was cluttered with a sea of students, most of them hurrying to get to their next classes. Though May and Mikey were in no particular rush to get to their classes (which were conveniently down the hall from their last class), they found themselves being swept along in the current and were forced to speed walk to keep up.

"Same here. I've got better things to do after school than to answer questions about a topic that I have no interest in whatsoever," May replied as she slipped her pen into the spine of one of notebooks.

Mikey nodded in agreement as he stepped away from May to allow a small freshman to pass between them.

"I liked how annoyed you got him at the end of class, though," he chortled when he stepped back, referring to the clock incident a mere two minutes earlier.

The fresh memory instantly filled May's brain and she found herself laughing as well.

"Well, he should've known better than to ask me for the answer. Like I'm really going to be able to tell you when I'm so obviously _not_ paying attention to your class," she remarked sarcastically.

Beside her, Mikey chuckled and nodded in agreement again.

A few seconds later, May and Mikey had made it to the doors of their respective classrooms with plenty of time to spare until the late bell rung.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow May," he said to her and waved goodbye.

May returned his gesture and entered her classroom. But the second she stepped into the room, a tall guy with spiky black hair in the hall called her name, causing her to turn around.

"G'afternoon my favorite brunette," Brendan Birch, the handsome son of the famous Professor Birch, said to her when he came up to hug her.

May smiled fondly at her close friend of four years, whom she had become close with when the two of them moved into the same neighborhood in Lilycove City with their families in order to attend the prestigious Lilycove University High School. The two had actually met when they were still toddlers, back when Brendan still lived in Littleroot Town and May still lived in Petalburg City. Their parents were really close friends, but Brendan and May had only seen each other three or four times since they lived in two different areas, so they did not really remember one another when they reunited in Lilycove. However, after established their similarities, they immediately became friends with one another. The other contributing factor to the quick start of their friendship was their intention of becoming professional coordinators after graduation. They even considered traveling together.

"Hey, Brendan," she greeted as they pulled away. "What's up?"

"Do you think you could get a ride home with Natalie or somebody today?" he asked. "I have to make up a test for a class after school."

Instead of a verbal response, May held up her finger to ask him to wait as she texted Natalie with the request. Not too a moment later, Natalie responded with her agreement.

"Yeah, she said I could get a ride with her," May informed, snapping her PokéNav closed.

"Good—I'll probably see you later then when I get home. Text me until then," Brendan said and waved goodbye to her before heading to his own class.

May was just about to head to her desk after waving back, but a speck of green that had just appeared in the doorway caught her attention and she stopped in her tracks. There, standing before her, was none other than the green haired nuisance from her Pokémon Contest Appeals class. He had an annoyed expression on his face when he entered the doorway, but when he saw her, his trademark smirk instantly spread across his lips.

"Hi there, May," he greeted.

A grimace threatened to make its way onto May's face at the sight of him. Her opinion of him had not yet changed since that morning. She still found him to be incredibly arrogant. And annoying.

"You're in this class?" she asked him back, adopting the monotonous tone of Mr. Zion's voice.

May greatly dreaded Drew's answer as she prayed with all her might to Arceus that the answer would be _no_, that he was just stopping by to ask directions to his next class since it was his first day in the school. Unfortunately, the answer was not the one that she prayed for.

"Why, yes I am," he told her smugly. "And I expect that you'll make me feel welcome and help catch me up in this class?"

May nearly groaned. "Oh, of course I will be Andrew," she replied sarcastically with a roll of her eyes and turned her back on him to head to her desk.

From behind her, Drew followed suit and sat in the seat in front of hers, which he straddled backward so that he faced her.

"Please, call me Drew. Aren't we past the full name basis?" he insisted to her.

May felt herself roll her eyes again, something she found herself doing often whenever she was around him.

"Fine, _Drew_," she said, putting extra emphasis on his shortened name for good measure.

Then, she turned away from him, only to find that almost every girl in the class had focused their attention on the two of them. Or rather, they had focused their attention on _Drew_ as they whispered amongst themselves.

_Not this again,_ she groaned in her head when she noticed their excited expressions and chatter.

Shaking her head, she slowly turned her head to the front of the class. Mr. Ellis, the class teacher, poked his head into the doorway at that moment and everyone grew quiet. Drew turned around to face him.

"Good afternoon, everyone! Glad to see that you're all here early today. Eager to get some battles done, I see?" Mr. Ellis said. "We're going to be heading to the rock field today for our battles, so if you'll all just follow me. You can leave your books here."

Everyone in the room stood and followed the young teacher after he waved them out of the room. He led them down to the first floor, where rooms with the four different fields for battling—water, grass, rock, and ice—were located. There were also arenas along with the fields for regular pokémon battles and stages for pokémon contest appeals. When they reached the room for with the rock field, he waved them all inside and closed the double doors.

"Alright. As I told you all yesterday, you will all be competing against one another in a series of mock battles this week for a grade in the class," he began to explain. "I will be using a selector to choose pairs to face off against one another for each battle and whoever wins is the one who advances on to the next round, where the process will repeat until there is a victor.

"So, it's sort of like a tournament of sorts and whoever wins the tournament gets extra credit for the assignment. Don't worry about your grades if you lose, though. I will only grade you guys based on how well you battled with your pokémon and if you followed the basic rules for a contest battle, not by if you won or lost."

After he finished explaining, Mr. Ellis looked around at his students to gauge their understanding. "Any questions?"

Everyone in the classroom shook their heads at the teacher. At the age of twenty-seven, he was one of the younger teachers in the school, and one of the most popular. His easygoing personality made him a favorite teacher to the students in the school, but he was especially popular among the girls due to his handsome looks.

When he saw that there was no confusion, he clapped his hands together and began to walk over to the computer in the far right corner of the room.

"Okay then. I'll go get started on computing the pairs," he said. Then he paused and briefly turned around. "Oh, class? We have a new student in the class named Drew. He will also be participating in the tournament with you all, so try to get to know him in the time that it takes me to get you guys paired up. The tourney tree will be up on the screen in a few minutes."

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><p>Two hours later, the school day had ended and students were either pouring out of the school or heading to different areas in the school for their afternoon activities.<p>

Since Brendan was unable to take May home, she had to wait outside at the front door of the school while Natalie went to get the car. She sat on one of the two stone ledges that lined the porch of the school and toyed with her PokéNav, occasionally looking up to see if Natalie's car had pulled up yet. The fourth time she looked up, she still found no Natalie.

Instead, she found Drew walking with a girl with long, burgundy hair and a slim body frame. The two of them were headed toward a silver car that ended up being Drew's when he turned it on and held the door of the passenger seat open for the girl who kissed him on the cheek before getting in. He smirked to himself before walking around to the driver's seat.

May made a sound of disgust as she watched the whole scene unfold before her. "Figures. I should've known he was a playboy," she said under her breath.

At that moment, Natalie's navy blue car pulled up to the front of the school. She honked the horn to get May's attention.

"Hey, why were you talking to yourself?" the girl asked May after she climbed in.

"Because I just saw Drew and some girl walking to his car," May explained, a look of disgust still present on her face.

Natalie cocked an eyebrow as she stepped on the pedal of her car. "And why is that bothering you?" she asked.

"Because I saw her kiss him on the cheek. Didn't he just come to this school today? Unbelievable that guy. I thought he was just arrogant and smug, but now he's an arrogant and smug playboy."

Natalie laughed out loud. "You can't just call him a playboy because of that. Maybe they met a while ago or something?"

May shot her a look of disbelief. "What are the possibilities of something like that?"

Natalie shrugged in response. "Maybe—you never know," she insisted.

"Oh well," May said dismissively, and then changed the subject, having gotten tired of hearing about Drew Hayden for one day. "How'd the battles in your Contest Battles class go?"

She was grateful when Natalie went on to tell about the battles that went on in her Pokémon Contest Battles class (which was the one before May's) and then straight into a different topic afterwards without question.

Seven minutes later, Natalie pulled her car into the driveway of May's two-story house, which was in a neighborhood located near Lilycove Beach. She glanced over at the house beside May's and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Hasn't your new neighbor moved in yet? I've been at your house about fifteen times this entire month and I haven't seen a car parked in the driveway once," she asked.

"I don't know," May said thoughtfully with a shrug as she looked over at the house as well. "I haven't seen anyone, but I guess they'll turn up soon." She unbuckled her seatbelt and slid out of the car. "Anyway, thanks for the ride, Nat. Text me later, okay?"

May jogged up to the door of her house, unlocking it while Natalie backed out of her driveway. The second she push it open, she was greeted by Skitty, one of the seven pokémon she had caught on her journey around Hoenn along with Blaziken (evolved from her first pokémon, Torchic, whom she had coincidentally received from Brendan's dad), Beautifly, Venusaur, Wartortle, Munchlax, and Glaceon. It was on that journey that she had discovered her passion for pokémon coordinating and her desire to become a coordinator blossomed.

Her friends, Ash Ketchum, a boy with spiky black hair from Pallet Town aspiring to become a pokémon master; Brock Moulder, a current pokémon breeder and gym leader with spiky brown hair from Pewter City; and her little brother, Max, had all accompanied her on the journey. For every contest that she had participated in, they had been there to support her and cheer her on. It saddened her now to know that the next time she would set out on her next journey after graduation, they would not be there with her.

"Hey there," she laughed, dismissing the thought when Skitty leapt into her arms. She then carried the small pokémon along with her upstairs to her room, where she dropped both it and her bag down to the floor. She found Skitty playfully chasing its tail on top of her bed after she had grabbed some clothes from the walk-in closet on the wall opposite of the door. She laughed out loud when the kitten kept going, even when she threw her clothes onto the bed beside it.

"I'll be right back, Skitty," she told it before she headed into the bathroom down the hall to take a shower.

After the nice, long shower, May threw on her white bathrobe and stepped out of the bathroom with her head down as she ran a comb through her damp hair. Just as she finished combing through most of it, she bumped into someone standing in the way of her path to her closet. Thinking the person was Max, she prepared to scold him. But when she looked up, she was surprised to find Drew. Or horrified was more like it.

"Oh my Arceus! What are you doing in my room?" she screeched, her eyes wide with terror.

Out of all the people in the world, she had least expected Drew to be in her room—how would he even know where she lived anyways?—but there he was, standing before her, smirking his signature smirk as he sized her up.

"What a nice way to greet your guest, May. Though I must say, a simple 'hello' would've sufficed," he teased causing May's eye to twitch in aggravation.

"What are you doing in my room?" she asked him again through gritted teeth.

"Didn't you know, May? I'm your new neighbor. My mom came over to meet your mom and she invited us in," he informed, his smirk widening.

Great. He was her new neighbor. Absolutely wonderful. May sighed in frustration at the news.

"That still doesn't explain why you're in my room," she insisted.

Drew's smirk widened even more, exposing a bit of his unbelievably white teeth.

"Well, I needed to use the bathroom, so your mom gave me directions to it, but I guess I took the wrong turn," he explained, and then paused to size May up once again. "Then again, I think I may have taken the right one. You were going to your closet to get dressed, weren't you? Don't let me stand in the way—be my guest."

He then made a show of stepping aside, seating himself on May's tan chaise and gesturing towards her closet. This only served to rile May up even more.

"Ohmywillyoujustshutup, you pervert?" she screamed, her words slurring together and her fists balling in frustration. "I can't believe this!"

Drew laughed out loud as he watched the petite girl turn on her heels. He heard her stomping off in the directions of the stairs, screaming for her mother and demanding why there was a "grass haired pervert" in her room the entire way down. Tucking his hands into his pockets, he slowly followed her down.

"Mom! _What is going on_?" May demanded once she located her mother.

The woman was sitting at the dining table with another woman, whom May assumed to be Drew's mother. The long, green hair and striking emerald green eyes were dead giveaways of her identity. The only difference was the friendliness on her face in place of Drew's usual arrogance.

"Hello, you must be May. I'm Elizabeth Hayden, Andrew's mother," the woman said kindly, completely shrugging off May's rude first impression.

It was then that May realized just how rude she had been a mere moment ago. She suddenly felt very awkward as she stood there in nothing but her bathrobe.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Hayden," she replied, while offering a sheepish smile.

Caroline, who had been glaring at May for her rude entry, cleared her throat. "Was there any reason why you were calling for me so frantically, May?" she asked.

May's mouth opened to answer her mother's question, but it was not her own voice that came out of her mouth. It was Drew's.

"I'm afraid I was the reason, Mrs. Maple. I accidentally took the wrong turn on the way to the bathroom and ended up in May's room, which startled her so she took off. My sincerest apologies," he said fluidly as if he had rehearsed the line countless of times. He then turned to face the gaping girl beside him. "Sorry, May."

Caroline smiled at her daughter's green haired nuisance, completely oblivious to her daughter's aggravation. Either that or she choosing to ignore it.

"It's alright, Drew," she insisted kindly. "No need to apologize; it wasn't your fault." She looked sternly at her daughter as if daring her to oppose. "Right, May?"

"Yeah. No need to apologize," May managed through clenched teeth.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the corner of Drew's lip slightly twitching upward as he flicked his bangs with his thumb. She decided at that moment that she had to get away from him immediately if she wanted to avoid yelling a stream of profanities at him in front of their mothers.

Caroline smiled approvingly at her and walked around the table to her daughter's side.

"Now May, go get your brother. We're about to start dinner in a few minutes," she instructed, and then leaned in closer to her daughter's ear so that her next words would be unheard by Elizabeth and Drew. "And tell him to be on his best behavior—Elizabeth and Drew are staying over for dinner."

Had May not been so astonished, she probably would have screamed. Instead, she felt her mouth fall open in shock.

_You must be kidding me!_ she screamed in her head.

Andrew Hayden, she decided, would one day be the death of her.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> There! The second chapter is finished! Did you like it? I hope you did. Tell me in the reviews? :) Anyways, the next chapter should be up next weekend hopefully so until then, have a nice week everyone! Bye!

P.S. Haha, did Mr. Zion seem creepy? He'd better been because he's based off of my elementary school music teacher! Gosh, how that guy gave me the creeps. I thought it'd be fun to throw someone like him in here. xD


	3. Water Field

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

* * *

><p>I don't really have much to say except for two things. The first is that I'm very sorry that I'm getting this update up on a Tuesday. I've been trying to update every Saturday for this fanfiction and I've done just that for the first two chapters, but this week I've been busier than usual and Fanfiction wasn't working when I had time to do it so I had to get this up three days late. I'm sorry! Forgive me? D:<p>

Second is that I'd really like to thank you all for all of the reviewing, following, and favoriting you've all been doing for this story! I really appreciate it loads! You honestly have no idea how happy I get every time I receive an e-mail from Fanfiction informing me about these things. I'd give each and every one of you a hug if I could, but since I can't, I'll just give you all a virtual hug! *hugs* :D

Anyways, same as always, happy reading and please review everyone!

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>EeveeTransformed:<strong>__ Don't worry, this is more of a journey fanfiction, only the beginning involves them being in school. I'm glad that you enjoyed it though! As for now, I'm getting started on the next one, so you should read this one, review, and then wait for the next update? Go go go! :D  
><em>_**SiennaxShipper:**__ Yay! You continued reading! Thanks!  
><em>**_EeveeTransformed:_**_ I'm sorry! I actually said something about the senior class in chapter two in hopes that it'd indicate that Drew and May are around the age of seventeen or eighteen, but I guess that didn't work so I'll just tell you now! May's seventeen and Drew's eighteen. :) And it's okay, I can't spell either and I had a PE teacher like that, too! She was horrible, hah! Also, I was planning on making this fanfiction around twenty-five chapters long, but that number isn't set in stone. I'll see how this goes! Stick around until the end to find out? :)  
><em>_**Huss-Fuss123:**__ Oh, it's not just you, I would've punched him too! Thanks for reading!  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Was it really? Thanks! :D  
><em>**_ch0c0latehell:_**_ I'm glad that my last update qualified as "soon" for you, that means I'm doing a good job with the updating-every-Saturday thing! :D And it isn't? No! I liked Ar-see-us better too! D: But anyways, as a thank you for the wonderful reviews, I included Max's opinion of the Hayden family in this chapter. Hope you likey? :)  
><em>_**sarah94306:**__ Paul will be Dawn's boyfriend in this fanfiction and I already listed May's Pokémon in a paragraph near the end in chapter two. As for Drew's, they're just the ones that he had in the anime—Roserade, Masquerain, Flygon, Absol, and Butterfree. I will be adding more as the story goes on when...well, you'll have to read to find out. :)  
><em>_**india and lydia rocks:**__ Here's me updating. Please enjoy and review, thanks for reading!  
><em>**_Monochrome13:_**_ Thanks! :)  
><em>**_JumpUpandDown:_**_ You just gave me an idea, merci! And I don't plan on making Brendan a jerk in this story. I love your username, too, by the way. Thanks for reading. :)  
><em>**_light-chiix3:_**_ Thank you so much! And yes, be thankful you didn't go to the same school as me! That teacher was terrible! xD  
><em>**_misspokemonpro:_**_ Thank you! :)_

* * *

><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 3<strong>

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><p>Perched on an espresso colored end table beside a large bed, a torchic shaped alarm clock began to elicit a loud chirping as the hands both struck six. A massive groan could be heard as a hand reached out from beneath the burgundy covers on the bed for the clock. It maneuvered around blindly for a few seconds, seeking out the device until it finally made contact. With a hearty slam on the snooze button, the hand ceased the infernal chirping. Once it was quiet again, it withdrew into the covers as the owner sighed into her pillow and flipped over onto her back.<p>

"I don't want to go to school," May mumbled as her eyes slowly opened to a blank burgundy colored world.

The warmth and darkness provided by the covers that still enveloped her were more than enough to convince her to stay in bed. She decided that she had no desire to get up as she closed her eyes again, something that she did every morning. But then the four-minute time interval of her alarm clock caused the annoying contraption to chirp again. Just like every morning.

"You stupid, bloody device," she muttered with a groan while throwing back the covers. After shutting it up once more, she finally willed herself to get out of bed in order to get ready for school.

An hour later, May had successfully—though slowly and groggily due to the early hour—gotten herself dressed in a casual winter outfit. Afterward, she threw her hair up into a high ponytail and grabbed her shoes and bag before she left her room. She was just closing the door behind her when the door to Max's room opened up to reveal the navy haired boy. It was evident that he had just woken up.

"Why are you just now getting up?" she demanded of her little brother.

Max squinted at his older sister in the dim lighting of the hallway before putting on his glasses. He then preceded to yawn once before actually giving his sister a satisfying answer.

"I was up until twelve in the morning doing homework and playing video games with Drew," he told her, his voice thick with drowsiness.

May wrinkled her nose in disgust at the name. "You mean that annoying grasshead?"

Max's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Drew? I didn't think he was annoying," he expressed. "I thought he was pretty cool."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you were in my shoes," May insisted.

A grimace formed on Max's face as he glanced disapprovingly at his sister's suede boots. They were so brown and fringy and..._girly_.

"I don't think I'll be wearing your shoes any time soon," he said, and brought his eyes back up to his sister. "But I don't know what you're talking about, May. I didn't see anything wrong about him. Me and mom—"

"_Mom and I_," May interrupted, enjoying the rise that she got out of him like every time she corrected his grammatical errors.

"Fine, _mom and I _liked him," he corrected with an eye roll, irritated by her interruption. "It's probably just you. He was pretty cool and his mom was pretty nice, too."

May rolled her eyes back at him. It was unsurprising that Max would approve of Drew's mom; he was a teenage boy after all. Having grown bored of their conversation, she turned and headed in the direction of the stairs.

"What definition of nice are you using there, Max?" she asked as she passed her little brother

The question made said boy stop in his tracks on his way to the bathroom. When he turned to look back at his sister, his eyes and mouth were wide with disbelief.

May, having felt his eyes on her, turned around to face him just as she made it to the top of the stairs. She tried not to laugh at his bright red face.

"Well? Aren't you going to get ready? Brendan and I aren't going to wait for you if you don't hurry," she told him.

With that, she began her descent down the stairs, her high ponytail swinging with every step.

* * *

><p>"Wait, could you repeat that?" Dawn requested of May, unsure whether or not she had heard the brunette correctly.<p>

May lifted her head from where she had slammed it a few minutes prior on the desk she was currently occupying.

"He's my next door neighbor," she mumbled, and then slammed her head back down again.

"You're kidding," Natalie breathed in awe. "How'd you find out, May?"

"He was in my room after I walked back in after my shower. He—"

"You weren't naked, were you?" Dawn inserted, her eyes having already widened after the first sentence.

May's head snapped up immediately, her eyes widening as well.

"No! Thank Arceus I wasn't. I think I would've died if I was," she said with a shudder. "But that brings me to the next thing: the jerk actually had the nerve to tell me to change in front of him! And as if that wasn't enough, he ended up staying for dinner and I found out this morning from Max that the two of them stayed up until _twelve_ playing video games and doing homework." She paused to sniffle. "He was in my house while I slept!"

Dawn exchanged an amused look with Natalie while May leaned over to rest her head into the crook of Natalie's neck. It was then that she noticed the reason for her stress walking into the classroom—still looking as smug as he had the day before—and her eyes narrowed.

"It's bad enough that I have to deal with him for two class periods of the day. Now, I have to deal with him being my next door neighbor, too," she grumbled in a voice that was barely audible while leaning in closer to Natalie to conceal herself from him. "Just kill me now."

Natalie pressed her lips together in order to suppress the laugh that was rising up her throat, but it did not work for long.

"It'll be fine May," she insisted with a chuckle. "We graduate in a few months, anyway. Then you'll be on your way on your journey and you'll never have to see him again."

May instantly piped up at the thought and pulled away from Natalie with a grin.

"You're _right—_we _do_ graduate in a few months! Then, I'll be on my way on my journey and I'll never have to see him again! Perfect!" she exclaimed as she leapt to her feet.

Both Dawn and Natalie watched her with amused smiles while she scurried back to her seat before returning to their own desks to get ready for the day's lesson.

* * *

><p>"Alright, everyone, quiet down. We have two matches left in this round. The last match will be between Drew and May. As for now, Tyra and Austin, please step up to the field!" Mr. Ellis announced.<p>

From the stands, Tyra, a cute girl with a dirty blonde pixie-cut, and Austin, a fairly tall guy with shaggy chestnut hair, stepped down and headed for their respective sides of the water field. Being the first to reach her side, Tyra was also the first to release her pokémon of choice: a stantler. The pokémon materialized from the white flash of the PokéBall on one of the white platforms inside the pool. A few seconds later, Austin followed with his poliwrath, whom he released into the water.

The two pokémon and their trainers stood in place while Mr. Ellis reprogrammed the large display screen that was mounted on one of the four walls. Once the screen displayed both Austin's and Tyra's pictures and a new score meter below each of them, he gave the two trainers the approval to begin. The battle commenced with Austin launching the first attack.

"Poliwrath, use Ice Beam!" he commanded.

At the sound of its trainer's voice, Poliwrath leapt out of the water and onto a white platform where it flexed first before firing the attack. An icy blue beam of ice shot from its belly at an incredible pace, making a beeline for Stantler, who had yet to receive a command from its trainer. Regardless, the normal-type pokémon still kept its face passive as it waited patiently for its trainer to speak.

"Stantler, counter with a Shadow Ball!" came Tyra's voice.

Stantler obliged immediately by launching out the attack from its mouth. A sphere made of different dark hues of purple shot forward from its mouth like a bullet into the path of the charging Ice Beam. Where the two attacks met, a small explosion of smoke erupted, canceling out the two attacks and deducting an equal segment from Austin's and Tyra's points. There were only three minutes left of the five-minute time limit.

"Water Gun, Poliwrath!" Austin said quickly before the smoke vanished.

A tunnel of water immediately swirled out from Poliwrath's belly through the smoke and right into Stantler, who had not been prepared to counter or dodge the attack. From above on the display screen, another segment from Tyra's meter disappeared as a result. The girl gritted her teeth in response.

Mr. Ellis, on the other hand, nodded in approval.

"Did you all see the way that Poliwrath used that Water Gun? You want to train your pokémon to use their attacks in that sort of manner in a real contest battle," he reminded while pointing at the scene with his grading pen. "Remember that a contest battle is more than just a regular battle. You want to put an artistic spin on your pokémon's attacks, not just launch them so as to take out the opponent. That's how you truly defeat your opponent in a contest."

The battle carried on for another two minutes with the pokémon exchanging blow after blow with one another and dodging whichever ones that they could. Meanwhile, Tyra's and Austin's points decreased steadily in a retaliating manner until each of them only had a small segment of points left. Though Austin was in the lead by a smidge, he still seemed more than eager to wipe out the rest of Tyra's points in the last minute that was left of the battle.

"Poliwrath, go use Hyper Beam on Stantler's platform!" he commanded.

A massive white beam shot forward so quickly from Poliwrath's belly that neither Tyra nor Stantler could think of a way to stop it. As a result, the white platform that Stantler had been standing on was sent flying to the end of the pool, knocking Stantler right into the water. Everyone sitting in the stands gasped in shock.

"Oh no, Stantler," May breathed in awe as she watched the poor pokémon struggle to break through the surface of the water.

From beside her, Drew chuckled as he watched her toy with the gold chain belt around her waist in an act of anxiety to the suspense of the battle.

"What?" she demanded as she turned to look at him, having caught his snicker.

"Just watch—Tyra wouldn't have chosen to battle with Stantler on a water field if she didn't have a way to get out of a situation like this," he told her, lifting a hand to silence her when she opened her mouth to retort.

To this rude act, the girl's mouth hung open in shock for a second before she huffed.

"You annoying grasshead," she muttered under her breath as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What was that?" the so called grasshead hissed at her.

May flinched in surprise; she had not expected him to have heard her.

"You know what Andrew? Ju-just face forward and pay attention," she told him and lifted a hand to silence him just as he had her, but ended up smacking it into his face by accident.

This earned her a growl from the boy that she waved away dismissively.

"Just watch the battle, Hayden," she said with a small smirk.

Drew scowled at her but did as he was told, turning his attention back to the battle. Tyra had just come up with a way to save her Stantler before the time ran out.

"Stantler, use Psychic on a white platform!" Tyra cried.

Stantler instantly stopped struggling in the water at the sound of its trainer's voice. A pink aura surrounded the nearest white platform as it began performing Psychic, its eyes narrowed in concentration. In a few seconds, the platform had been brought underwater to Stantler, who climbed the white object and allowed it to carry it to the surface.

To this, the class cheered and Mr. Ellis nodded approvingly. Austin, however, narrowed his eyes in response and commanded a Psychic of his own to bring the platform back from beneath Stantler. In retaliation, Stanler used Psychic again to keep the platform from moving. A mental game of Tug of War was thus thrown into action.

The entire room went quiet as they watched the white platform waver underneath Stantler's feet as the two opposing Psychic attacks fought over it. Even so, Stantler still managed to keep its focus on the Psychic attack it was keeping up just as Poliwrath was doing with its own. Meanwhile, the time was running out for the battle but no one except Tyra was paying attention. She was keeping an attentive eye on the clock as she waited until the appropriate moment to strike. Once five seconds were all that was left of the clock, she called her final command.

"Thunderbolt, Stantler!"

A flow of paralyzing electricity flew out from Stantler's antlers straight towards Poliwrath. Though the attack had required Stantler to let go of its hold on the Psychic attack, its element of surprise managed to surprise Poliwrath enough that it had to let go of its focus of its own Psychic attack. Not only that, the Thunderbolt also struck Poliwrath right in the belly, successfully getting rid of the rest of Austin's points just before the time ended and winning her the battle. Poliwrath was down and out.

"That was excellent!" Mr. Ellis cried over the cheering of the class. "Great job to the both of you! That definitely does something for your grades! Keep that up and you'll win contests for sure!" He waved over the last pair to battle. "Now, let's get Drew and May up here so that we can get the last winner for this round. Drew, May, please step up to the field!"

Drew smirked over at May at the sound of their names. "Are you ready to battle, May?" he asked her as they stood up together and began to make their way down to the field.

May's eyes rolled automatically, something that was slowly becoming a habit of hers whenever she was around him or whenever he was mentioned.

"Why wouldn't I be, Andrew?" she asked him back.

"Because I'm going to beat you?" he asked as if it were a given. "And why do you keep calling me Andrew? I thought I already told you yesterday to start calling me Drew."

May's eyes rolled once again. "You're not going to beat me," she insisted. "And because Andrew's your name. Would you rather me call you Hayden?"

Drew opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted when May abruptly turned around to say a witty remark. Caught off guard by her sudden movement, he was unable to stop himself in time before he slammed into her, causing her to lose her balance and sending her in a teeter. Everyone in the classroom watched anxiously as she wobbled back and forth unsteadily on one foot by the edge of the pool. Luckily, Drew was quick to grab her around the waist just in time before she was sent flying into the water.

"That was close," he breathed over her shoulder as he held her trembling body in his arms.

However, Drew's words of relief were spoken much too soon for when May finally realized what position they were in after recovering from her state of shock, it sent her back into a state of panic. She gasped and shoved against his back so that he would break his hold. Unfortunately for her, his arms recoiled from her waist in the middle of a shove, causing her to lose balance once again. This time, she was sent flying straight into the pool.

Everyone in the room gasped as Drew gaped down at the splash in the pool where May had fallen in, watching as the girl struggled for a moment before she could finally resurface. Once she did so, she began gasping desperately for air and coughing out some of the water that had gotten inside her mouth. Their classmates and teacher quickly rushed over to help her out of the pool.

"May! Are you alright?" Mr. Ellis asked as he threw his jacket over her after a few students had helped her out.

The shivering girl tried her best to utter a response, but her chattering teeth prevented her from doing so. She only managed to muster a smile, and Mr. Ellis eyed her sympathetically.

"You need to get home and into some dry clothes," he told her. "What class do you have next?"

"I hav-v-v-e lunch next. C-c-could I j-just s-s-stay home?" May requested as she cuddled into Tyra and two other girls in the class who were all hugging her to keep her warm.

Mr. Ellis nodded and hurried over to the desk in the far right corner of the room where the computer was perched. He pulled something out of one of the drawers and returned a few seconds later with a neon pink slip in his hand.

"Here's your pass," he told her as he handed it to her. "Do you need a ride home?"

"I'll take her, Mr. Ellis," Drew offered as he stared at May with an apologetic expression.

"N-n-no thanks-s-s," she spat as an angry shudder ripped through her body. "My f-f-friend Brendan has a f-f-free period right now-ow-ow. I'll have h-h-him take me."

Drew immediately opened his mouth to protest but the menacing look that May shot him suggested that it was best that he did not. He grudgingly closed his mouth, loathing the pang in his chest as May turned away from him without a word.

A few minutes later after being called down by Mr. Ellis, Brendan rushed into the room with a jacket in his hand. May's face instantly brightened at the sight of her friend, who crossed the room immediately to pull her in for a comforting hug. He earned a few smiles from the girls in the class for his act of care.

"Thanks, Mr. Ellis—I'll get her home," he assured the teacher as he exchanged the jacket around May's shoulders with his own. After handing Mr. Ellis's back to him, he wrapped an arm around May and led her out of the room.

All the while, Drew stood off to the side with an expression that was a mixture of anger and guilt as he watched the two walk away. The pang in his chest lingered.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Aw, Drew. :( And poor May! Tsk tsk tsk. Accidents happen I guess.

Thanks for reading! I know I got this update later than usual, but I promise that I'll try not to let this happen again! I was just particularly busy this week and Fanfiction wasn't working...so yeah. Anyways, please leave a review to tell me what you guys thought! See you guys next Saturday for the next update! Hope you enjoyed. :)


	4. Broth

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

* * *

><p>Sorry guys, I had a school dance yesterday night so I couldn't get this chapter up until today. :\ At least it's only a day late though right? I'm just going to let you guys get right into the chapter now though. Thanks for all of reviewing, favoriting, and following you done for this fanfiction everyone, I really appreciate it! Please keep it all up! Happy reading! :)<p>

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>Similar Hues:<strong>__ Oh, I know, I just adding that part in there for a little bit of comic relief. And yeah, he will be! Thank you for reading! :)  
><em>_**misspokemonpro:**__ I don't have many chapters up yet because I just started this fanfiction last month, but I update every week! Follow me to get the updates! :)  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ It's fine, me neither! But right? Should've watched where you were going Drew! ;D  
><em>_**Shikishima:**__ Thanks! And I second what you say, they're my favorite anime couple! :D  
><em>**_LoveLoverGrl:_**_ Yay! That means I succeed in what I was going for! xD  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Hehe, maybe. :3  
><em>_**ch0c0latehell:**__ I know, I just wanted to set a date for my readers and a due date for myself so I don't slack. If I don't end up getting the chapter up on the day that I said I would (like this chapter), setting the due date just helps to urge me to hurry up and get the chapter done. I may not always be able to make the due date, but at least the update won't be too overdue. Helpful for everyone you know? And I hate when classes do that! That's why I didn't make the classmates laugh at May, I find it so rude. And there might just be some gossiping later, we'll see! :)  
><em>**_india and lydia rocks:_**_ Believe me, if I wasn't the author of this fanfiction, I would've freaked too! xD  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ Yeah, makes me wanna give him a hug. :P  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies:**__ Isn't he? But keep gunning for them! This is a Contestshipping fanfiction after all. ;)  
><em>_**xxTheBloodyRosesxx:**__ What do you mean by not logged in? And we're alike, I like giving him problems too! Mwahahaha. ;D  
>I also won't be revealing anything, I don't want to spoil the story! But thanks for saying that, I'm reassured! :D<br>__**light-chiix3:**__ Here's the next chapter! Hope I didn't keep you waiting long! :D_

* * *

><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 4<strong>

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><p>A mild headache, stuffy nose, sore throat, watery eyes, fever—all the symptoms of a cold were there when May woke up the next morning. She had undoubtedly caught herself a cold—or rather, <em>Drew <em>had _given_ her the cold. She could feel herself scowling as she remembered how she had fallen into the pool because of the green haired nuisance. She had already taken a disliking to him when they first met, but the fact that she now had a cold because of him certainly did not help the case. She did not know if she would ever be able to tolerate the guy's existence.

Beside her on one of the two end tables on either side of her bed, her PokéNav was blinking madly with messages from her friends, all of which were inquiring why she had not gone to school. But May was not paying attention to the messages; she was paying attention to the time being displayed on the clock beside her PokéNav. The time sent her into a brief state of shock.

One-thirteen in the afternoon, a little over seven hours later than the time she usually woke up on a school day. It startled her to know that she had woken up so late; she was never one to do so, especially since her alarm clock was strong enough to wake up a snorlax. But nevertheless, she had in fact slept through her alarm clock, and her ride to school was most likely in class at the moment.

A brief wave of chagrin passed through her as she wondered why neither Max nor their mom had come into her room to wake her, but judging from the fatigue she was experiencing, she concluded that she was probably too lost in her sleep to have even noticed their presences. Currently, she even lacked the energy to move her body.

"I should probably be getting out of bed now," she eventually murmured to herself after another solid ten minutes of laying in her bed, but she remained still.

Another five minutes later, she finally stirred. However slowly because of the ache she felt throughout her body, she threw herself over the side of her bed and trudged out of her room, down the hallway, and into the bathroom. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror when she entered the room and shuddered.

"I look horrible," she said to herself as she took in the paleness of her skin, messy bedhead, and the dark circles beneath her tired sapphire blue eyes.

Unable to look at herself any longer, she quickly undressed and stepped into the shower. Half an hour later, she was back in her room, throwing on an old oatmeal henley and a baggy pair of grey sweatpants. The pieces had originally belonged to Gary, but May had taken them from him a few years ago when she was spending the day with him at his grandfather's lab. She still remembered the day fairly well and fondly.

The two had gotten caught out in the rain together when they were tending to some of the pokémon out in the fields that day. By the time they had managed to run back into the lab, they were soaked from head to toe. Being the gentleman that he was, Gary had loaned her some of his clothes to wear until her own clothes dried. But in the end, she wound up leaving the lab with his clothes instead. He never asked for them back and she never offered to return them.

Five years later, the clothes still fit her comfortably and she constantly found herself in them whenever she was just lounging at home. Perhaps it was her undeniable attraction toward the brunet and the clothes's ability to make her feel as if he were right there with her that drew her to them. They helped her to forget the fact that he was actually miles away in the Sinnoh region conducting research with Professor Rowan. They kept in touch with one another, but his voice was just not the same without his presence. There were no words to explain how much she missed him.

With a sigh, May finished tying the sweatpants around her waist and headed downstairs in search of her mother.

"Mom?" she called out as she walked down the stairs to the large living room.

Receiving no response, May scanned the house with her eyes as she crossed the living room floor to get to the raised kitchen area. Her slippers met the white tiles with light tapping sounds as she headed toward the refrigerator for food to satisfy her grumbling stomach. As her hand wrapped around the handle, a green sticky note on the kitchen counter caught her attention. She reached over with her spare hand to retrieve the note and read the cursive words of her mother's neat handwriting.

_Max and May—_

_By the time you read this note, I will already be on a ferry to Littleroot Town. A friend of mine slipped in the shower last night and needs me to care for her until she gets better. I don't know how long I'll be staying there with her—a month or two?—but your father should be home this weekend to take care of the two of you until I get back. Or at least, until the gym needs him again—you know how he is._

_Until then, be good, take care of yourselves, and don't leave the house in a mess for me to clean up when I get back! The cupboards and the refrigerator are stocked so you guys won't have to go grocery shopping for another week or so. Call me immediately if you need me for any reason. Hope to see the two of you soon!_

_I love you both,  
>Mom<em>

"That explains why she's not here," May said to herself and reached over to the side of the refrigerator to stick the note onto the small magnetic bulletin board where an assortment of old notes were also posted. "Hope her friend's okay."

With her other hand still wrapped around the handle of the refrigerator, May pulled the door open to reveal the contents. Nothing caught her eye except for a bowl of fresh oran and razz berries. She picked a berry off of the pile in the bowl and popped it into her mouth, piercing the delicate skin with her teeth when she chomped down. The tasty juice spilled into and coated the inside of her mouth as she continued her search.

May spent the next few minutes raiding the cupboards and refrigerator for some appealing food. But unfortunately, her search came up empty. She had thought that she had wanted a few foods here and there, but due to her lack of taste buds, she wound up rejecting them all. In the end, she had gotten nothing but a glass of milk. With a sigh, she closed her refrigerator door, retrieved her milk, and retired to the large leather couch in the far corner of the room to watch television.

The next hour for her was uneventful. She spent the majority of it flipping through channels on the television, stopping occasionally when a program managed to capture her attention. At some point, she got up to make a bowl of ramen noodles when her hunger became too unbearable, but she never finished eating it. Instead, she dozed off during the middle of an action film, only to be woken up later by a text on her PokéNav. With a yawn, she reached for the device over on the glass top coffee table across from the couch and flipped it open to read the message.

"Great. I'm going to be all alone in this house tonight," she sniffled after reading the text.

The text had been from Max, informing her that he would be staying over at a friend's house for the night. The news disappointed her greatly; she loathed to be home by herself while she was sick. Company would have been welcomed, but it was evident that she would not be having any. With a frustrated grunt, she threw her PokéNav onto the couch beside herself and reached for a tissue from the box on the end table. After blowing her nose into it, she balled it up and shot it into the trash can beside the bookshelf against the wall. She then proceeded to slouch down on the couch in defeat.

Thirty-seven boring minutes later, May had nearly fallen back asleep. But it was at that time that the doorbell rung, snapping her out of her drowsy state. Excited at the prospect of potentially having company, she immediately pushed off of the couch. After stepping back into her slippers, she jogged around the couch and over to the front door.

"Who is it?" she called once she arrived at the door.

Assuming the person on the other side of the door was Brendan, May did not bother to peer through the hole in the wood. But the person standing on her porch was not Brendan. It was Drew.

"Gee, you look terrible," he said truthfully the second he saw her, his emerald eyes widening slightly as he took in her pale skin and her dark circles under-eye circles.

May narrowed her eyes at his comment. "What are you doing here?" she demanded in a harsh tone, clearly not over yesterday's incident.

"I came to apologize," he told her remorsefully, realizing this. He _was_ the cause of her cold after all.

"_You're_ apologizing?" May snorted incredulously. "For what exactly? For being an arrogant jerk or for being an arrogant jerk who caused me to fall into the pool?"

Drew sighed as he ran a hand through his hair—whether in exasperation or anxiety, May was unsure—and met her eyes after with a different look in his eyes, one that she almost mistook as guilt had she not known any better. It could not have been guilt...could it?

"For both," he admitted, proving that the look in his eyes was indeed guilt. "I really didn't mean to do either—I'm really sorry. I'm honestly not the arrogant jerk that I've made myself out to be and I'd really like the chance to prove that to you."

May blinked in surprise—all of the aggravation leaving her at once—as she tried to take in all that he had just said. Had the arrogant Andrew Hayden really just said that? She stared into his eyes for a long moment of awkward silence, searching them for any sign of insincerity. But she found none. All she found were two vast pools of emerald green that smoldered with sincerity and guilt, supporting his words and leaving her with no way to doubt the truth in them.

Meanwhile, Drew was growing impatient after a solid minute of silent staring. "Well? Can I come in now?" he demanded.

May continued to stare at him for another moment as she considered his request. Eventually, she stepped aside for him to enter, figuring that it would not do her any harm if she let him in. Not unless he was a rapist or something, but for some reason, she highly doubted that he was. Besides, it was already too late for that thought; he was already in the house. She made a mental note of thoroughly thinking through her decision before she let another guy that she barely knew into her house again.

"Are you really eating ramen noodles when you have a cold?" Drew asked with surprise once he sat down on the couch with May.

He eyed the half empty bowl of spicy ramen noodles on the coffee table with disapproval before glancing back at the girl he had directed the question to.

May regarded him with a confused expression. "So what if I am?" she asked him.

"Their high sodium content makes them a bad food for a healthy person to begin with," he explained matter-of-factly. "So, if they're bad for a healthy person then they're obviously going to be bad for you since you're sick. Don't eat them anymore."

With that, he took the bowl from the table and carried it to the kitchen area.

"Hey!" May cried out in protest as she watched him dump the noodles into the sink. "It took me three minutes to cook those!"

The sound of his snort filled the room as he proceeded to rinse off the bowl and place it in the sink. His eye roll could be seen when he turned around even from the corner furthest from the living room where May was still sitting on the couch.

"You'll live," he insisted as he walked over to the fridge and pulled the door open.

May's eyes widened and mouth fell open in disbelief while she leapt from the couch. "_Now_ what're you doing? This isn't your house, you know," she reminded him when she came up behind him.

"Relax, May—I'm just looking for some ingredients so I can make you something to eat," he explained, and then as if he could sense that she was about to bring up the ramen, he added, "Something _healthy _that'll make you feel _better_, not worse. Just go back over to the couch and enjoy whatever you're watching. I'll call you over when the food's done."

Since she was in absolutely no mood and lacked the health to argue with him, May simply huffed and gave him the locations of everything he might have needed for cooking. Chagrin nagged her as she tried to ignore the sound of his activity in her kitchen. It did not seem right for him to just treat her house as his own, especially since she had yet to consider him a friend. He was nothing but an acquaintance to her, and acquaintances did _not_ cook for one another in one another's houses.

And yet, there he was in her kitchen, bustling around and cooking up a storm. But May had to admit that her discomfort did not last very long when she caught the first whiff of whatever Drew was cooking. It smelled like very much like a delicious soup, and the aroma that wafted through the air of the large room made her mouth water. She struggled to remain in her seat until Drew called her over when he was done cooking. She struggled as well to remain poised as she walked over to the table to see what he had made her. A bowl of vegetable broth and a plate of saltine crackers were placed before her on a place mat.

"You made me broth?" she asked disbelievingly as she picked up the spoon on the right of the bowl.

Drew nodded and crossed his arms over his chest to feign nonchalance. He would not allow the excitement that was bubbling within him to show on his face.

"Go on," he encouraged. "Give it a try."

May hesitated briefly before taking a spoonful of broth, and she immediately liked it. It tasted amazing with just the perfect amount of saltiness to it to satisfy her like the ramen noodles did. It was so incredible that she could not believe that a guy like Drew had cooked it. It could have even compared with Brock's vegetable broth, perhaps even beat it. She could instantly feel herself getting better.

Drew watched her as she swallowed the first spoonful, propped up on his elbows as he leaned over a chair. "How is it?" he asked, his eyes bright as he waited for her answer.

May turned to him and felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips as she beheld his hopeful expression. It was almost...cute.

"I like it," she answered him truthfully.

He smiled then, an actual smile that exposed the top row of his unbelievably white teeth. The smile suited him, May decided, a change from his usual smirk, and complemented his face far more than the smirk did. Now that she looked at him—_really_ looked at him—in a light that was not tinted with aggravation at his smugness (that was currently blissfully absent) she could honestly say that she understood why girls were so obsessed with him.

He was rather attractive, especially his beautiful green eyes. In fact, by taking into account his handsome looks, nice smile, and unexpected change in personality, he suddenly did not seem so bad anymore. He was definitely proving to her that he was not the arrogant jerk that he had made himself out to be.

"Well, I'm going to clean up then get myself a bowl. Just leave your bowl here when you're done—I'll wash the dishes after," he said suddenly, further changing May's opinion of him for the better.

Said girl felt herself soften at his words. "You don't have to do that," she insisted. "You've done enough already—I can wash the dishes."

Drew shook his head and gave her a soft smile. "It's fine. You're sick because of me; it's the least I can do."

May did not argue with him after that. Instead, she finished up the broth, thanked him for the meal, and went back over to the couch to enjoy her favorite night show.

* * *

><p>Once Drew finished eating and cleaning, he went over to join May over on the couch. He had originally wanted to converse with her—to get to know her better—but once he peered down at her over the back of the couch, he knew he would not be able to. In fact, he did not want to when he saw her for she had dozed off into a peaceful slumber.<p>

May's face looked different as she slept, more cherubic and angelic with a blissful smile that made Drew wonder what she was dreaming about. He could not help but smile himself as he watched her for a moment, studying her face and enjoying the blissful atmosphere between them. Eventually, he realized that if she were to sleep, she would probably prefer to do so in her bed. Deciding to take a risk, he walked around the couch and lifted her easily into his arms. Carefully so as not to wake her, he carried her over to and up the stairs and to her room where he tucked her into her bed.

Afterward, he stood in contemplation; he did not know what he was going to do next. It was late and he wanted to go home, yet he did not feel comfortable with the idea of leaving May to sleep alone in an empty house. At first, he considered leaving his roserade to take care of her for the night, his fingers even grazing over the pokémon's PokéBall inside his pocket. But when he glanced over at her vanity and noticed her collection of PokéBalls resting on the surface, he thought better of it. What pokémon was more suited to take care of May than one of her own?

With silent steps, he maneuvered across the light pine wooden floor of her room over to the vanity where a collection of seven PokéBalls were resting. He randomly selected one of the PokéBalls and pressed the white button, releasing May's faithful and longtime companion, Blaziken, in a white flash so bright that it made him throw a worried glance over in May's direction. Luckily, the girl had not even stirred in her sleep. He breathed a sigh of relief and turned his attention to Blaziken.

The pokémon surprised him at first when he saw it. To be honest, he had not expected May to own a pokémon like Blaziken nor had he expected that a pokémon of hers would look so powerful. The pokémon's body—almost completely red in color aside from its yellow chest and calves, and the long, beige feathers that extended from its head like hair—practically radiated immense strength. Its long legs looked particularly strong; they looked as if they were strong enough to kick through steel.

Its eyes were narrowed as they assessed Drew's unfamiliar face. Its hooked beak opened in preparation for a cry—or an attack, Drew unsure—but he lifted a finger to his lips in time to stop it from doing either, and gestured with another over at May.

When Blaziken saw its sleeping trainer, its face softened before it turned back to the green haired guy with an accepting expression.

Drew smiled at it. "Take care of her," he instructed it in a whisper and headed over to the door.

Once he got to it, he turned around to take one last reassuring look at May. She was still lost in her dreams, oblivious to everything that was going on. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he wrapped his hand around the doorknob.

"Good night," he whispered to her, and then closed the door behind him.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Is Drew a cutie or what? What a heartthrob. ;) I don't know what he's talking about with the ramen noodles though, I eat them all the time and I'm fine! Not to mention, they're super yummy too. :d

Hope you enjoyed despite the 24-hour delay, please review regardless!


	5. Prom Date

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>To make up for updating late for the past two weeks and to get myself back on my update-every-Saturday schedule, I devoted all of my free time to writing this chapter! Now, here it is! Posted on the Saturday right after my last update and I think it's longer than usual, too. Are you guys proud of me? :D Hope you enjoy! As usual, happy reading and please review!<p>

**_Responses to Reviews..._****  
><strong>**_Huss-Fuss123:_**_ I agree! I won't punch him now either! :D_  
><strong><em>Palkia's Princess: <em>**_I have actually never heard of that Pokémon until this moment, but, just for you, I'll make sure to include a cameo for it sometime in the next couple chapters!  
><em>_**LuvAllPokemon:**__ "I can almost taste the sugar!" For some reason, that sentence just put an incredibly big smile on my face! :)  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies: **__Thanks! Expect the unexpected! :) I wonder too, I'd like to say that it's probably around level 60 if not higher? I mean, it has been with her for a while.  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Thanks! And apparently! If it is, then woopsies, I kind of have an addiction to it, too late to stop eating them now. I'm actually eating a bowl as I'm starting this chapter right now! :D  
><em>_**misspokemonpro:**__ Thank you, I will!  
><em>_**india and lydia rocks:**__ Hah, success! I was hoping for someone to tell me that!  
><em>_**ch0c0latehell:**__ Are you kidding me? Why are you apologizing? It didn't take you long at all! I should be thanking you for being so diligent in reading my fanfiction! And I wish the same too! But moving on...I like being a little different! Glad I achieved that! And yes, ramen noodles are always my go-to food if I find nothing else. But, unlike you, it's the same for when I'm sick or not sick; I just love them! Although I do agree with you, who cares about sodium? Salty foods are yummy. :)  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Hah! Not exactly, Drew's always been a softy at heart. ;D  
><em>_**light-chiix3:**__ Oh my goodness, thanks so much for saying that! :D But yes! See Drew? You can be nice and hott, too! And ouch, that's sounds painful! I can't even handle biting my tongue, let alone cutting a piece of it. O_o  
><em>_**cosmoticflower: **__I never liked arrogant Drew either :) Thanks!  
><em>_**Alethea R. Grey:**__ Thanks so much!  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Why thank you kindly :)  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ You're welcome, thanks for reading!_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 5<strong>

* * *

><p>"So, who are you going to prom with?" Dawn asked the girl to her right.<p>

Natalie glanced up at Dawn as she stuffed some of her lunch in her mouth. She quickly chewed and swallowed the food before responding to her blunette friend.

"No clue," she answered. "I was thinking Cam, but I don't know if dates from outside of school are allowed."

"I'm pretty sure they are. I mean, even if they weren't, your boyfriend only graduated a year ago; it should be okay," Dawn offered.

Natalie thought over her friend's words before shrugging and returning to her food. "You're lucky _your _boyfriend still goes here," she said after swallowing a bite. "You don't even have to worry about finding a date."

Dawn snorted and shook her head. "Are you kidding me?" she scoffed. "What are the odds of _Paul_ wanting to go to _prom_? Even if I'm lucky enough to convince him to go, he most likely won't want to dress up and match my dress. Watch me end up having to find a new date."

"You're probably right. Good luck searching for a date then," Natalie laughed, and then moved on to a different topic. "Who do you think May's going with?"

"She'll probably go with Gary if the school allows it and if he can make it. You know how much she likes him."

"Who likes Gary?" a familiar voice piped up.

Dawn and Natalie both looked up at the same time to find May returning from the lunch line with a tray of her lunch in her hands. They watched her as she pulled one of the remaining two chairs apart from the table and sat herself down before she set down the tray.

"Who likes Gary?" she asked again before forking some pasta into her mouth.

"You," Dawn told her. "We were just discussing who we were going to go to prom with and who you were going to go with. You _are_ going with Gary, right?"

May's facial expression fell immediately and a frown formed on her lips. "I'm not going with Gary," she sighed sadly.

Dawn and Natalie exchanged confused looks with each other from across the table. Then they turned to May with questioning expressions.

"Why not?" Natalie asked her.

May sighed again and began to absentmindedly toy with her pasta as she answered, "He called me last night and told me that he won't be coming to the Hoenn region until our graduation on the first day of spring before I could even ask him."

"That's not bad—it's already the beginning of February. You only have to wait another month," a new voice chimed in.

The girls seated at the table snapped their heads up in the direction of the voice in time to see a gorgeous girl with light blue hair approaching their table. They watched her as she dumped her black tote bag onto the floor and slid gracefully into the remaining chair. She gave them all a pleasant smile that raised up the corners of her dazzling teal eyes as she crossed her arms on the table, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Hi, girls," she greeted.

"Marina!" her three friends exclaimed in a chorus of voices loud enough to draw the attention of the people sitting at the other tables around theirs.

Said girl cringed at the loud exclamation of her name and glanced around nervously, throwing apologetic smiles out to the staring people. They all found it impossible to resist smiling back before turning away. No one could ever be mean or rude to Marina; her graceful features and serene personality made it nearly impossible to do so.

But it was not just her beautiful looks that earned her the respect of others; it was mostly due to her talent with battling with her pokémon. Though she spent the majority of her time modeling, she still managed to train her pokémon to keep up with the caliber of others'. Her feraligatr, Wani-Wani, alone could probably take out two or three pokémon at a time with just one Hydro Pump. It was thanks to this talent and her beauty that she earned herself the title of "Top PokéIdol" at Lilycove University High.

"When did you get back from Goldenrod City? I thought you were going to be gone for another three weeks to visit some relatives in New Bark Town while you were in the Johto region?" May asked.

"I was, but then I figured that I could just go visit them when I go off on my journey in Johto after graduation. I didn't want to make up more than a week's worth of schoolwork or miss my one and only prom, so I bought a ferry ticket back here two weeks ahead of schedule," Marina explained.

"Oh, so you were afraid of missing prom. Here I was thinking that you came back early because you missed us," Natalie teased.

Marina gave her a melodious laugh and waved a hand dismissively. "I _did_ miss you guys," she insisted. Then, she reached down into her bag and pulled out three black boxes while adding, "Plus, I was anxious to get back so I could give these to you. Open them up and see if you like them."

Dawn was the first to oblige to Marina's instructions. She quickly undid the golden clasp on the box and pried the lid open, revealing a chunky gold charm bracelet resting on a silk cushion. Each individual link of the bracelet was encrusted with tiny princess cut diamonds that glistened as they caught the light of the cafeteria. The sight made her eyes widen as she gasped just as May and Natalie were opening their own boxes and getting their first glimpse of their bracelets. They gasped at them as well.

"There are clasps underneath the white material for you to attach to your PokéBalls so that you can clip them on as charms. It sucks that there's only six of them for each bracelet, but the bracelet does get a little bulky if there's more than six PokéBalls attached to it, so I guess it's for the best," Marina explained in a normal tone, but when she noticed their shock, her tone became amused. "You guys like it? I found them in the store of the jewelry designer that I was modeling for."

"Hell yeah, I like it!" May nearly screeched. "I saw this in the magazine that you were in last month and I've been meaning to get it ever since, but now I don't have to. Thanks, Marina!"

"Yeah, thanks a bunch, Marina!" Dawn and Natalie chorused.

"You're welcome," Marina replied, grinning delightedly. "I also managed to get a VIP card for this other designer that I worked with while I was in Goldenrod, so I can get a discount whenever I shop there. I went into their store in the department store and their dresses were _amazing_. I was thinking that we could go visit the store today after school and go prom dress shopping." She paused and cocked an eyebrow. "That is, if you guys haven't already gotten your dresses."

"I haven't," both May and Natalie said at the same time. They met each other's eyes afterward and broke into a fit of laughter at the coincidence.

Marina laughed along with her two friends before she turned to Dawn, whose eyebrows were furrowed and lips were fixed into an amused smile as she watched her friends.

"What about you?" Marina asked her in between laughs.

Dawn's smile fell and she bit the inside of her mouth as she sat contemplating. She was still unsure as to whether or not Paul would be willing to go to prom with her or not. Thus, she did not want to go shopping for a dress yet until she knew. But even if she succeeded in persuading Paul to go to prom, convincing him to wear a tie in her favorite color, pink, to match her dress would be another battle in itself. She groaned inwardly when she realized how much work that meant for her.

"I'll get back to you about that after I talk to Paul," she said precariously.

"Why do you have to talk to Paul?" Marina asked, confused.

"I still have to find out if he's willing to go...and persuade him to wear a pink tie."

Her three friends exchanged looks with each other before eyeing Dawn sympathetically. It was obvious that they doubted that the girl would succeed in the second part of her task. Getting Paul to wear pink was like getting Ash Ketchum to give up his Pikachu: it was damn near impossible. They reached over at the same time to give her an encouraging pat on the hands.

"Good luck," they chorused.

* * *

><p>Dawn burst through the large double doors of Lilycove University High in pursuit of her boyfriend, Paul Evergreen, who was making a beeline for his car. Anyone watching the scenario would have assumed that he was not considerate enough to wait for his girlfriend, but they would be mistaken. He was trying to escape from her because she was dangerously close to driving him to the brink of insanity. The girl had been badgering him about their upcoming prom for the past twenty minutes since he had gone to the cafeteria to meet her after her lunch so that he could take her home. It was something that he did daily, but he wished that he had abandoned routine for the day.<p>

He could not understand why Dawn was even broaching the topic of prom. He had already told her that he would not be going the first time she brought up the subject, but for some reason unknown to him, she did it again. This time, she was being even more persistent. His sanity was in serious jeopardy.

"Alright, just give me one final answer. Are you going to go?" she asked once they reached his car.

"No," he told her for what seemed to be the thousandth time. He nearly growled when she asked the question again.

"Are you going to go?" she repeated.

"No," he said through clenched teeth.

She asked yet again. "Are you going to go?"

"No."

"Are you going to go?"

"_No_."

"_Are you going to go_?"

"NO."

"Fine. I'll find another date."

Paul had not been expecting that, but it surely did the trick. The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"Alright, I'll go!" he exclaimed.

"Thought so," Dawn said, grinning triumphantly as she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's neck.

Paul cursed himself in his head. The girl was lucky that the thought of her having another guy be her date to prom was so unbearable to him. Otherwise, he would have definitely encouraged her to find one.

"I love you," she declared, her tone making it clear that she expected him to say it back after she leaned up to kiss his cheek.

Paul peered down at his girlfriend from the corner of his beady black eyes. The girl had caused his normally stern expression to become even more eerie than usual with his aggravation, yet she still did not back down. The two engaged in a silent staring contest as she stood waiting for him to say the words back to her, neither of them blinking for an unbelievably long time. In the end, he looked away from her and stared aimlessly ahead.

"I love you, too," he finally grumbled.

"Good to know," Dawn said, the triumphant grin returning to her face. "And just to let you know, I'm going to be wearing pink so you're going to have to wear a pink tie or something to match."

The look that Paul gave her was enough to make her drop the grin instantly.

"No pink," he deadpanned.

Normally, Dawn would've shriveled up under the heat of the glare that he was giving her. She usually let him have his way since the guy was as stubborn as anything, but at that moment, for the sake of her one and only prom, she decided to take a chance with persistence.

"Either you wear pink or I find another date," she challenged, her eyebrow cocking and her expression fixed, daring him to oppose her.

Another intense staring contest couple commenced between the couple. Both were determined to stand their ground, neither of them willing to give in. But two minutes later, Dawn's blue eyes began to sting painfully and water madly. Meanwhile, Paul's eyes were perfectly fine; it was almost as if he did not need to blink, and it was scary. But then again, there was always something about Paul that people found scary.

Thankfully, just when Dawn's eyes were on the verge of blinking, Paul's snapped shut only to open a second later to glare.

"Fine!" he cried, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "I'll wear pink!"

Paul's sudden outburst nearly made Dawn jump in surprise, but the rush of joy that surged through her body at her victory kept her from doing so.

"Thatta boy," she said to him and leaned up to kiss him on the lips.

He muttered something incoherent under his breath (most likely a collection of foul words) and turned away to quickly open the passenger door of his car for her before storming off to the driver's side.

Dawn ignored this and took out her PokéNav as she got in and sent a quick text to Marina.

**February 6, 2:59pm**  
><strong>To:<strong> Marina  
><strong>From:<strong> Dawn  
><em>I'm going. Name the location and time. :)<em>

**February 6, 3:01pm**  
><strong>To:<strong> Dawn  
><strong>From:<strong> Marina_  
>We're meeting at my house since I live closer to the mall. You found a date already?<em>

**February 6, 3:01pm  
>To: <strong>Marina**  
>From: <strong>Dawn**_  
><em>**_Of course. I'm going with my boyfriend._

**February 6, 3:02pm**  
><strong>To:<strong> Dawn  
><strong>From:<strong> Marina_  
>Lol, how'd you make that happen?<em>

**February 6, 3:02pm**  
><strong>To:<strong> Marina  
><strong>From:<strong> Dawn_  
>Skill, baby girl, all skill. See you in a few. ;)<em>

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><p>May stood before the mirror on the bathroom combing through her damp hair. When every single tangle had been brushed out, she readjusted the towel that was wrapped around her so that it would hug her body more before opening the door to the hallway. However, her timing could have been better because at that moment, Brendan was appearing at the top of the stairs at the end of the hallway. A visible blush formed on both of their cheeks the second they made eye contact.<p>

"Sorry, May—I didn't know you were in the shower," the tall boy apologized.

May gave him a light smile as he plowed his hand through his black hair as an embarrassed gesture. It was not often that Brendan, a guy who was normally so confident and poised, was caught being embarrassed. In fact, May was not even aware that her friend was capable of being embarrassed until that moment. It was cute watching him try to avoid looking at her.

"It's alright, no big deal," she assured him.

Brendan smiled shyly—May nearly laughed; Brendan shy was another rare sight—and let his hand drop to his side, but he did not say anything else immediately. He was still flustered by the sight of May in a towel. If one listened closely, they could hear his heart palpitating against his chest. He gulped discreetly in an attempt to calm himself.

"Is there any reason why you're in my house?" May asked him after a minute of waiting for him to speak up first.

Brendan blinked as he imagined how stupid he must have looked while standing there trying to avoid looking at May's nearly naked form. He had to admit, she looked incredibly alluring while wearing nothing but a towel with her damp hair falling in waves over one shoulder. The towel began at the top of her chest and ended just a little above the middle of her thighs, leaving the rest to his imagination. He mentally kicked himself to stop any perverted thoughts before they could fully invade his brain.

"Oh, I came to ask you something," he told her.

May cocked an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her amused smile encouraged him to go on.

Brendan returned the smile with a laugh in an attempt to get rid of the awkward atmosphere before he asked, "Do you have a date to prom?"

May lowered her eyebrow and leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom as the question filled her with a sense of sadness. However, she was not sad that she did not have a date; she was just sad that even if she did have one, the person would not be Gary. He was too busy in another region devoting himself to his research to be able to accompany her to her prom. Ironically, his level of devotion to anything he was passionate about was one of the assets that she admired about him and one of the many things that had attracted her to him. Too bad that it worked against her will this time.

"No, I don't," she admitted to Brendan whilst fighting the urge to sigh. Then, she attempted to shift her mood. "Are you asking me?"

Brendan gave a playful grin and nodded. "Are you going to say yes?" he asked her.

"Yes, Brendan, I'm going to say yes," she told him, returning his playful grin. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go put some clothes on so that I can head to the mall to get my prom dress."

"I'll give you a ride if you want so we can discuss what color we're going to wear in the car. I mean, girls care about that whole color matching thing, right?"

May laughed aloud and accepted his offer.

Fifteen minutes later, May bounded down the stairs. After looking around for Brendan, she concluded that he was probably in the bathroom. To pass the time as she waited for him, she walked over to the couch where her brother was seated. Her eyebrows furrowed when she noticed Drew sitting next to him. Though his back was to her, his green hair confirmed that it was him. But when had he come into her house?

When he heard the sound of the brunette's footsteps, Drew turned around and smirked when their eyes met. She looked just as beautiful as she usually did.

"Hi, May," he greeted warmly.

May smiled in return. "Hey, Drew. What're you doing here?"

When she had first met him a month ago, May probably would have asked the question without the greeting and with much distaste in her voice. Back then, the mere sight of Drew in school disgusted her to no end, let alone the sight of him in her house. She had disliked him for his arrogant attitude and his belief that she would swoon over him like the rest of his fangirls. It certainly did not help when he caused her to fall into the water field during his second day of school, thus resulting in her catching a cold the very next day. To say her first impression of him was a bad would be an understatement.

But a month later—after he had come over to apologize for the incident, cooked for her, tucked her into her bed, _and_ went so far as to let out her blaziken to protect her in the then empty house—she honestly did not mind his company. Though he still did not exactly qualify as a friend to her, she could admit that they were very good acquaintances. At least she was not tempted to rip off his head anymore whenever he smirked.

"My mom had to drive to Fortree City at the last minute to pick up a painting for one of her clients, so your mom invited me over for dinner," he told her once she seated herself on the couch in between him and Max.

The navy-haired boy was hunched over a textbook, searching for facts to use in his essay about the effects of Pokérus, a status ailment that was a microscopic life-form that may attach to some pokémon. He did not so much as glance up from the thick book to acknowledge his sister's presence.

"Here I was thinking that you could cook well enough to feed yourself," May teased as she reached over to the coffee table for a bite-sized Pecha berry tart (one of her mom's specialties) and popped it into her mouth.

Drew smiled as the memories from that faithful day that he had changed May's opinion of him filled his mind.

"I can, but I don't enjoy cooking very much," he admitted. "It usually takes someone special or a special event to get me to cook for them."

"I guess that makes me someone special then," May remarked with a grin that brightened up her twinkling sapphire blue eyes.

Drew gave her a chuckle and a warm smile. "I guess it does," he agreed, and he meant it.

At that moment, May felt a light pat on the top of her head, causing both her and Drew to jump. When both of them turned around, they found Brendan standing behind May, chuckling lightly at their reaction before muttering an apology.

"Ready to go, Maple?" he asked after, using May's last name in an affectionate manner.

The girl leaned back into the couch to stick her tongue up at him in a playful manner, something she always did whenever he addressed her by her surname. He laughed while Drew's eyes narrowed.

"I'm guessing you asked her?" Max asked suddenly, finally looking up from his textbook to peer at Brendan through half lidded eyes over his rectangular-framed glasses.

Brendan smiled in response and nodded. Max simply rolled his eyes while May blushed.

Noticing her pink cheeks, Drew suddenly grew very annoyed.

"Asked her what?" he asked before he could stop himself.

"He told me he was going to ask May to prom," Max informed, frowning as he glanced once at Brendan and May. "And judging by the smile on his face and the blush on hers, I'm going to assume that she said yes."

"Shut up, Max—I'm not blushing," May insisted, her face turning even pinker. "Let's go, Brendan," she added quickly when Max opened his mouth to object. She leapt to her feet and walked around the couch to Brendan, who she began to shove toward the door.

Max shook his head and went back to his textbook. "Lovebirds," he muttered under his breath though neither Brendan nor May had heard the comment since they were already out the door.

The only person who had heard it was the guy sitting beside Max. The guy whose hands were clenched very tightly into fists.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I'm sure you were all probably hoping that Drew would ask May and she'd go with him. Sorry for the disappointment, I guess Brendan just beat him to it! I'm sure you guys probably want to smack Brendan for that, too. I guess I should let you guys do that now since you're done with the chapter (sorry Brendan!). After you do, please review! Thanks for reading. :)


	6. Prom Invitation

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>I forgot to ask this last time but did you all make a wish on 11:11am andor 11:11pm on 11/11/11? I did! Here's chapter 6 (the real chapter 6, no mistakes this time! Lol at**LuvAllPokemon**, thanks for pointing it out!), review please! Thanks for all you've done so far, happy reading! :D

**_Responses to Reviews:  
><em>**_**ch0c0latehell:**__ I have a habit of apologizing too! Glad you like how I characterized Marina though and yes, he has to work for May's affections! I'll make sure of it because I'm evil. ;) Anyways, are you serious? That's terrible! I've always loved Rolyn, she's one of my favorite Contestshipping authors out there! I didn't flame the story but I left a note up there for everyone! Hopefully that's more effective so that more people can flame it! Hope I helped!  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ HAHAHAHA! Poor Brendan, run buddy run! ;D Sorry for getting your hopes up though. :3 And I honestly didn't even know what Pokérus was until this summer! My Pokémon's been infected with it so many times but I had no idea what it was! I'll definitely keep writing though :)  
><em>_**Blademon:**__ Thanks, I'm happy that you're enjoying it! :)  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97: **__Dawn says thank you :)  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Hah, awh, poor Brendan. :) I'm updating right now though!  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies: **__Well, you're all going to find out in this chapter. :)  
><em>_**misspokemonpro:**__ Definitely, Contestshipping all the way!  
><em>_**LuvAllPokemon:**__ Woopsies! I fixed it, thanks for pointing it out! And I've noticed that so I added my own twist! :)  
><em>_**AquaWindero:**__ Because I have awesome readers like you who take the time to review my story? :D  
><em>_**light-chiix3:**__ Hah, yay! Brendan has someone on his side!  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ Thanks!  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Hah, I tried to make it cute!  
><em>_**Narutita:**__ Thank you for saying that! I hope I don't disappoint :)_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 6<strong>

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><p>Max finally set down his textbook after a consecutive two hours of skimming through the paragraphs of the chapter on Pokérus. He had long ago accumulated more than enough information for the essay that he had to write for one of his classes, but tendency to overachieve led to him reading more than required. Had his mother not announced the start of dinner to him and Drew, he probably would have continued with his reading.<p>

"Finally found the will to set that book down, huh? Guess your mother's cooking works wonders," his father, Norman Maple, joked.

The navy haired man was in his home in Lilycove from Petalburg City for the month, leaving his gym in Petalburg in the care of his assistant. It was a rare event that he would willingly leave his gym unless there was a dire emergency that required his immediate attention.

However, the reason he was in Lilycove for the month was no emergency; he just wished to be there for May on her one and only prom night. Pictures simply would not suffice for him; he needed to see her in person. Plus, he needed to make sure that whoever she was going to go with would be a well behaved young man. If by any unfortunate chance that the guy wasn't, he would have to answer to Norman. No one was to going hurt his daughter or ruin her night.

"Maybe—Mom's cooking _is_ pretty good," Max mused with a shrug and grinned in response to his father as he loaded a mound of each dish on the dining table onto his plate.

Drew mimicked his actions. "I second that—Mrs. Maple's cooking had my mouth watering before it was even set on the table," he inserted.

Caroline smiled at the two graciously. "Thank you, dears," she said. "But less talking and more eating—don't let my cooking go to waste."

All of them obliged with eagerness.

Dinner was a pleasant affair for everyone at the table. Drew and Norman had engaged in a lively conversation about Norman's job as the gym leader at the Petalburg City Gym. Each question from Drew was responded to with an enthusiastic answer from Norman, who also had many questions regarding Drew's short coordinating career before he moved to Lilycove in order to attend Lilycove Univeristy High, and if he was planning on resuming that career after graduation.

The man was quickly taking a liking to Drew. The two had only just met a few hours ago when Drew walked into the house after Caroline and Max, but Drew's charm and wit had managed to win Norman over in no time at all, just like he'd won over his wife and son.

After dinner, Max lead Drew down to the basement, where he took out another textbook to do the homework for another one of his classes. While he did that, Drew powered on the game system connected to the television and chose a game from the Maples' collection. Once he had the disc placed on the tray of the game station, he began to engage Max into conversation. After some clever scheming and skill on his part, Drew managed to land the conversation on the topic of Brendan asking May to prom. He did so successfully without arousing any of Max's suspicion; he did not want the boy to know of his feelings towards the boy's sister.

"Does your sister like him?" he asked before he could stop himself, and he immediately worried that he had given himself away.

However, Max did not seem to have noticed.

"No, not that I know of. I think she just likes Gary. Anyone whose known May for a while would know that. She's been so head over heels for him since she was twelve—heck, you could even say she's in love with him—that I don't think she's looked at another guy in that type of way since," Max told him. "I _do_ know that Brendan likes my sister, though. Apparently, he's had a crush on her since the first time they met back when they were four or five."

Drew discreetly gritted his teeth. Even though Brendan was the one who liked May and not the other way around, he still wasn't thrilled to find out that the girl harbored a crush on this mysterious guy named Gary. The fact that she had liked the guy since she was twelve certainly did not help much.

He did not want to know who his secret competition was, so he didn't ask, yet he still could not help wondering who this Gary person was. If this person was as good-looking or as popular with the girls as he was. If this person was as good with his pokémon or as well known as he was. If this person was as worthy of May's affections as he was...or if the guy liked May as much as he did.

"So, she likes him that much and he hasn't even noticed?" Drew asked skeptically, desperately wanting to know the details.

"Maybe he has, maybe he hasn't—I just know that he hasn't directly addressed it," Max informed with a shrug. "He _is_ older than May by five years after all, and in a different region. Maybe he just didn't want to start anything with her since a relationship between them would most likely not work out between them."

The words comforted Drew a bit—at least the competition wasn't in the same region, so the odds were technically more in his favor.

"What about Brendan then?" he asked. "He's liked her for that long and she still hasn't noticed his feelings for her?"

Max shrugged again without looking up from the notebook he was writing in.

"It's either she hasn't noticed or just doesn't want to confront his feelings," he said, the pen in his hand dancing along the line of the notebook as words in blue ink trailed out from under its tip. "My guess is she might be slightly suspicious about them, but she just doesn't want to ruin the friendship or make it awkward since she doesn't return the feelings. Maybe he'll confess to her after prom or something."

Drew scowled up at the television screen, where he was controlling a car via the game station remote he held in his hands. If Brendan really did confess to May after their prom, then what would her response be? Even if she didn't reciprocate his feelings, would she accept him just for the sake of their friendship? Or what if she _did _return his feelings, but was just good at hiding them? If that were the case, then what would happen? What would it mean for him?

Up on the television screen, the black car he was controlling was sent flying into a burning building when the thoughts in his head made his hands freeze. Two words appeared on the screen in large font, eerily suitable as an answer to the question that was just asked seconds ago in his head.

_Game over_.

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><p>"Brendan, give me back my books!" May demanded with a laugh as she dashed down the hall after Brendan, who had stolen her books from her.<p>

The herd of people, who were all making their transition from their third period class to their fourth, stepped out of the way as she and the black haired boy zipped past them. While most of them appeared aggravated, many of the girls had looks of envy on their faces as they watched May chasing after one of the most good looking guys in the senior class, rivaling Drew in popularity.

Brendan was laughing happily as he finally came to a stop at the end of the hallway. He stood with an amused smile on his face as he waited for May to reach him. When she did, he handed her the books, which she used to whack him on the arm.

"Ouch, May! The violent girl persona doesn't suit you," he joked while rubbing the spot where May had whacked him.

Said girl stuck her tongue out in response. "You were going to make me late for my next class!" she offered in her own defense.

Brendan laughed aloud and brushed a strand of May's hair out of her face before tucking it behind her ear affectionately.

"You're such a nerd," he teased as she huffed, but the smile on her face showed that she wasn't actually offended.

"I swear you make me want to beat you to death sometimes," she muttered.

"I'd like to see all five-foot-nothing of you try to do that," Brendan shot back.

The comment earned him another swift whack on the check, one actually painful enough to cause him to wince.

"I was kidding!" he exclaimed, while jogging away to avoid the proceeding hits that May was trying to inflict on him as she followed him, giggling along the way.

From up the hallway came a scowling Drew, who had witnessed the whole exchange after he had walked out of his classroom. It bugged him to see the two of them so close even if he wasn't positive that May returned Brendan's supposed feelings for her. The two of them were still a lot closer than he could have hoped to be with May, and it bugged him, bugged him big time. It also did not help that they would be each other's dates to prom while he had yet to get one.

But then again, it wasn't that there were no girls willing to be his date; it was just that he hadn't asked any girl. He'd originally intended to ask May, but it was far too late for that now. In fact, it was getting too late for him to ask any girl to go with him; he had to act fast if he wanted a date.

He found himself in a sudden panic as he went through the faces of the girls he had met in school in his head, trying to find one that appealed to him enough for him to be able to ask her to invite her to prom.

In the process of it, a girl walking a few paces up ahead of him that he recognized from his next class caught his eye. He called to her.

"Skyler!"

Skyler, a girl with lovely looks that rivaled those of Marina's (though they were less serene) and blonde waves that could almost compete with the glossy chestnut waves of May's, paused in her tracks halfway down the hallway and turned to face the mysterious guy who had called her name. An aggravated expression was plastered on her face, but once her eyes landed on the green haired heartthrob of the school, her expression brightened instantly while her silver eyes shone with excitement.

"Hey, Drew!" she greeted.

"I have a question for you," Drew asked her when he walked up to her side with his signature smirk lighting up his face for good measure. If he was going to ask this girl to prom, he needed to be as charming as possible.

"You do? What is it?" she asked him as she resumed her walking.

Drew kept pace with her and she thoroughly enjoyed the envious looks she received from girls as they passed. She even enjoyed the ones that bordered on murderous, which she discreetly returned with a smug look of her own.

"I was wondering, if you'd like to be my date for prom?" she heard him ask from beside her, and she felt her heart skip a beat.

The words tasted like vinegar on Drew's tongue; he wanted them to be directed at May, not Skyler. Skyler, however, nearly jumped up in excitement. Truth was, she was actually waiting for Drew to ask her to prom. She even went so far as to decline all the date invitations she had received from other guys in the school. She had had many guys come up to her, asking her to be their date, but she had turned every one of them down. They simply could not compete with the green haired heartthrob beside her in her opinion.

He was clever, smart, witty, amazing with appealing and battling with his pokémon (at least from what she had heard), respectful, and most importantly, respected. She had had her eyes on him since the moment he walked into her Pokémon Studies class a little over a month ago. He had won her over in a second with the ease of flashing her his signature smirk. It was something about the confidence that radiated off of him that made him so irresistible, and she was sure that many girls would agree.

But those girls didn't matter anymore, not now that she was just a single word away from being his date to prom, a position many girls coveted but no longer had a hope for attaining. Because as of the next second, the position would be hers.

"Yes," she said, with a brilliant smile and much eagerness. "I'll be your date for prom."

Drew quickly exchanged his smirk for a smile that exceeded the smirk's charm as he nodded. Yet, on the inside, he was still glum. Sure, he found a date and sure, she was one of the prettiest girls in the entire school, but he still couldn't ignore that nagging voice in his head.

_Sure, many guys will be jealous of you when you're walking around and dancing with her at prom,_ it said. _But it'll never compare to how happy you'd be if May was in her place instead._

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well, there it was! Hope you guys enjoyed, please review! Since I won't be updating until next Saturday, I'm just going to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving in this chapter! Thanks so much for all you've been doing for me, I'm thankful for every single one of you. :D


	7. Prom Night

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>Hello everyone, did you all have a good Thanksgiving? I know I did :) Here's the prom chapter! It is a little longer than my other chapter lengths and there will be a second part which will be the next chapter so keep your eyes out for that. Happy reading, please review!<p>

**_Responses to Reviews...  
>Shikishima:<em>**_ Unfortunately Green/Leaf won't be in this fanfiction to be paired with Gary. I'm not very familiar with her so I'm not going to put her in here, sorry! But it's fine, apparently that jerk's fic has been taken off so no one has to flame it any longer! Thanks for trying though. :)  
><em>_**ch0c0latehell:**__ Trolls make me incredibly mad. I hate people who try to steal credit for other people's work, it's just plain wrong and disgusting. Eck. Anyways, yes, I am very evil hehehehe. ;) But you're working on a Contestshipping fic? I'll have to check it out! And woopsies, I was trying to give off the 'bratty preppy girl' vibe for Skyler, but I guess it didn't work. Oh well, she's not important anyways. :P But woot woot for us! Here's the prom you were waiting for!  
><em>_**Blademon: **__Don't worry, this _is_ a Contestshipping fic after all! Drew x May ftw! :D  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Well, I'm sorry, Skyler Hayden happens to sound really good! ;D  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies:**__ There's only one prom silly. :3  
><em>_**BlackThunderess:**__ Thank you!  
><em>_**misspokemonpro:**__ That's the kind of stuff that just makes my entire week. Thanks a bunch! :D  
><em>_**Glaceon Lover India Rocks:**__ Poor Drew. :'(  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**_You're_ kawaii! :D  
><em>_**LuvAllPokemon:**__ Skyler is a bitchy fan girl unfortunately, that's what I was going for hehe :P As for if Drew is going to be happy or not, read on to find out!  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Keep contradicting me! I find it hilarious and I love when I get to respond to your contradictions! Like the response I'm going to give to your last contradiction right now: because Drew is just a dummy who needs a watch and calendar. They will have a dance though...but there will be a twist. Read to find out what the twist is! :D  
><em>_**light-chiix3:**__ Yes, Brendan isn't a bad character! And yeah, she's supposed to be a total bitch who may or may not give May a hard time, glad someone actually got that impression of her! :D  
><em>_**leotinees:**__ Hah, it's probably also because Gary and May have never actually met in the anime. They won't end up together though so you don't need convincing anyways. :) But did you not like that guy or something? I find that incredibly cute! Stealing a kiss in the dark, how romantic! Let's see if Drew does that, eh? ;D_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 7<strong>

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><p>Standing before a full length mirror was a girl of divine elegance. She donned an assemble that made her look more elegant than she had ever looked before. So elegant that she could hardly believe that the reflection of the girl in the mirror was herself.<p>

Dazzling diamond chandelier drop earrings were in her ears with the the matching necklace resting on her collarbone. Her usual chestnut waves were tightly curled for the occasion and strategically pinned up into an immaculate messy bun with a curled tendril on either side of her face. A traditional French manicure coated her nails, giving them all a neat uniform look.

A shimmery champagne eyeshadow was brushed across her eyelids and soft brown eyeshadow rimmed her lashlines, providing a nice frame for her eyes without adding too much color. Three coats of the blackest mascara were combed through her lashes, lengthening them to the point where one wondered how they kept from tangling whenever she blinked. The combination made her eyes pop against her flawless skin like a pair of beautiful sapphire rings set in a bed of ivory velvet.

On her feet were a pair of sublime peep toe pumps that gave her an additional four inches in height. Ivory in color, the shoes nearly blended in with her skin but the slight remanent of the tan she had obtained during the summer made it clear where her skin ended and the satin material began. The shoes were simple, yet elegant, with the material in front gathered together to create a swirling effect around the rhinestone-encrusted crescent brooch above her toes. The simple selection was intentional for the girl did not want the spotlight to be taken from the focal point of her prom assemble: the dress.

The dress was a little like something that a princess who had just stepped out of a fairy tale would wear. The ivory color of the satin material of the princess A-line gown matched that of the shoes. The ruched detailing of the bodice created a very flattering effect and was adorned with intricately beaded lace appliques. The skirt subtly blossomed out from her hips and fell down to brush the brooch of the shoes. From behind her, the slight train of the dress flowed out from her lower back, trailing with each step that she took. The overall silhouette could only be described with three words: flattering, feminine, and extravagant.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," Caroline said to her daughter after she finished applying a coat of pink lip gloss to her daughter's lips.

"Thanks, Mom," May breathed in response with her eyes still fixed on her reflection in the mirror.

She still could not believe that she could be transformed into an entirely different person of such elegance in a mere two hours. Though she only looked like an enhanced version of herself and not a different person entirely, she was still in awe.

_If only Gary could see me now_, she thought sadly.

"Come on, May," her mother's voice chimed from out in the hall, snapping May out of her thoughts. "Brendan's waiting for you downstairs."

"Coming," May called, taking one final look at herself in the mirror to check for any flaws. Finding none, she gave her reflection a nervous smile before heading out of her room and down the stairs.

"My Arceus, you look beautiful," her father exclaimed when he laid eyes on her for the first time that night.

Brendan, who was sitting beside him on the couch, looked over in the direction that Norman was staring. His eyes noticeably widened when he saw May; he had never seen her look so beautiful. The sight made his stomach flop.

"Thanks, Daddy," May muttered to him, but her eyes were fixed on Brendan.

An amused smile spread across her lips at his dazzled expression. As he approached her, she appraised his attire for the night. It was an all-black assemble, consisting of a black tuxedo, black button-down shirt, and black dress shoes. The only thing that was not black in his assemble was the ivory silk tie, worn to match the color of her dress. The outfit was exactly how he had described it to her, and he looked dashing in it.

"Wow...you look amazing May," he breathed when he came up to her side.

"You do, too," May said back with a smile on her face as he took her hand and slipped a gorgeous red rose corsage onto her wrist.

Beside them, Caroline had captured the moment on camera and the one after when May pinned the matching red boutonnière onto Brendan's blazer. She then requested the pair to pose for another picture...and a couple others.

"_Moooommm_," May whined with a giggle as she turned to face Brendan after a picture with him hugging her from behind. "Enough pictures. That's what we're supposed to be doing at Dawn's house."

"Oh, just one more picture," Caroline insisted with a nonchalant wave of her hand. She then gestured for the two of them to hold hands for the next shot.

Eager to leave the house sooner rather than later, May quickly slipped her hands into Brendan's and looked into the lens of the camera. Once the flash went off, she breathed a sigh of relief and leaned in to rest her head on Brendan's shoulder.

"Finally," she groaned.

A chuckle reverberated off of Brendan's chest as one of his hands reached up to pat her comfortingly on her lower back.

"Oh, not yet—now, I need another one," Caroline chimed, causing May's mouth to fall open in disbelief. Seeing this, her mom giggled.

"Just because the way the two of you are posing right now is too cute to pass up, dear," she cooed. "Now hold still and smile for the camera."

Bright smiles found their way onto both of the teenagers' faces as Brendan laced his fingers through May's hand, while his other hand remained on her lower back. Caroline stifled her own smile from behind the camera and counted down to three before pressing down on the button.

The flash going off a second later signaled that Brendan and May were finally free from their photographic confinement. They released each other instantly, much to the dismay of Caroline, who tried to object, but Norman rushed to save the pair.

"You guys'd better hurry and get to Dawn's house or you're going to be late to prom," he urged, waving his hands towards the front door as a gesture for Brendan and May to leave while they still could. "Hurry up and enjoy your night!"

The two needed no other motivation. As quickly as they could—or in May's case, as quickly as her pumps would allow—they rushed out of the door and into Brendan's car.

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><p>"May! Brendan!" exclaimed a very excited Dawn when she spotted the pair walking through the tall double front doors of her home.<p>

May barely had time to grip onto Brendan before Dawn had launched herself into her arms, causing the brunette to stumble back a couple steps before she managed to steady herself.

"Dawn!" she gasped after the blunette pulled herself away. "Be careful! You're wearing _heels_, for crying out loud!"

Dawn laughed at her friend's comment and shrugged down at her strappy silver heels that were peeking out from the pink strapless organza gown she wore. The silver shoes went perfectly with the subtle floral print of the sweetheart bodice of the dress, which gave it a very romantic vibe and made it suit Dawn's personality. The soft A-line silhouette created a nice slimming effect that made her look that much more alluring.

Her navy blue hair was loosely curled and pinned in the back into a messy bun off to the side of her head. On the opposite side of the bun was a deep side part. From there, her fringe was curled to frame one side of her face. She looked positively radiant.

"No biggy," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand and reached to grab May with the other. "Come on! Everyone's already here!"

Brendan and May were lead by Dawn through her house, all the way out into the backyard, where their friends were standing around in a circle conversing on the lush green grass. Marina and Natalie caught May's eyes immediately with their beauty. Though she had been with the two girls and Dawn when they'd all picked out their dresses together, she hadn't seen them in their full prom assembles. She could hardly recognize them.

Natalie looked absolutely dazzling in a navy strapless gown. It had a flattering empire waist and stylish silver beaded neckline that matched the color of her strappy heels. Her hair was fixed into a messy low bun that she had added both volume and texture to in order to make it look gorgeously feminine as well as effortless at the same time. Her eye makeup consisted of volumizing mascara and a soft silvery grey smokey eye with brownish tints in the crease to emphasize the brown in her twinkling dark eyes. Her naturally perfect pink lips were kept understated with just a coat of clear gloss on top for a reflective finish. To finish off the look, she had on a simple pair of diamond stud earrings in her ears and a corsage made of pink roses on her wrist.

Marina looked breathtakingly beautiful in a white organza A-line gown. It was a simple piece and yet she managed to make it look like one of the most extravagant pieces in the world. The ruched bodice of the gown was accented with a gold oval-shaped brooch while the slimming A-line silhouette flowed down to the ground in a slight sweep train. The white material brushed the top of her feet, which were clad in a pair of gold stilettos. Half of her hair was pulled into a messy bun, exposing the pair of gold chandelier earrings that hung from her ears, while the other half fell down in wavy curls down to the middle of her back. Her makeup was kept minimal and done with the sole intention of enhancing her facial features alone. Anyone who saw her would agree that she looked like a goddess.

All the guys were dressed in practically the same attires as one another. They all wore black or grey tuxedos, with either shirts or ties in colors coordinating with the colors of their dates' dresses. Their boutonnières were pinned to their blazers and matched their dates' corsages. Their shoes were identical: shiny black patent leather dress shoes.

They all seemed rather content and comfortable with what with they were wearing aside from Paul, whose usual scowl seemed to be unusually deeper. One would have wondered why before they laid eyes on his outfit.

The purple-haired boy was miraculously wearing a baby pink button-down shirt to match Dawn's dress. In addition, he also donned a pearl-colored tie to match their boutonnière and corsage set. How the blunette ever managed to convince him to do so still remained a mystery to everyone.

"Oh, great! You're here!" Natalie exclaimed when she noticed Brendan and May coming up to their circle. "Let's hurry and get these pictures over with so we can get to prom on time."

Johanna, Dawn's mother, arrived from within the house on cue with a camera in hand. She began to usher the eight of them into a line that had the boys hugging their dates from behind. Brendan and May stood next to Natalie and her boyfriend, Cameron "Cam" Smith, who stood next to Dawn and Paul (who was still scowling away despite Johanna's pleas for him to smile), who stood next to Marina and her boyfriend, Jimmy Kenta.

An excruciating twenty minutes later, Johanna ended up rivaling May's mother when it came to her photography obsession. Had the driver of the limo that Cam had rented not expressed his impatience by honking the horn, she probably would have taken longer to get done with the pictures.

With a sigh, she waved the bunch away so that they could finally leave. They immediately climbed into the limo without further delay.

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><p>The large gym of Lilycove University High had been completely transformed into a grand ballroom. All gym equipment had been moved out in order for a couple of long snack tables to be moved in. The white cloth-covered tables lined the two walls adjacent to the wall where the wide double doors were, while the wall across from it had had a stage built in the middle.<p>

Up on the stage, a famous band in the Hoenn region was playing one of their signature songs. It possessed an upbeat rhythm while maintaining a gentle flow, and had most of the students attending the prom dancing to it on the dance floor. The effect of the dimmed lights gave the entire place a vibe very similar to that of a nightclub's.

In the middle of the dance floor, Drew was dancing with Skyler and trying desperately to feign enjoyment. He looked dashing as per usual with his usual messy green hair tousled to absolute perfection. The red of his silk tie was striking against the material of his crisp white button-down shirt as were his eyes against his slightly tanned skin. His black dress shoes were shined to an incredibly glossy finish, while his black tuxedo looked sophisticated and sharp. Though he wasn't dressed any differently from most of the guys in the room, he still managed to turn many heads of the female portion of the senior class. The guy was easily one of the hottest guys in the room that night, if not the hottest.

"What?" he shouted over the loudness of the room provided by the music and the conversations of his fellow peers.

"I said I love this song," his stunning date shouted back.

Skyler looked ready for a photoshoot in the dress that she had chosen to wear for prom. The chiffon material fell down far enough to graze the design of her white stilettos, which gave her four inches of additional height. The red color popped against her fair skin while the sexy, plunging neckline caught the attention of all the guys who had laid eyes on her that night.

Like Drew's hair, her blonde hair was styled to perfection. She had all of the waves pinned into a sleek low bun with a large rose clip. The clip had been given to her by Drew in place of the corsage. Initially, she had found the feat to be disappointing; she had hoped for a corsage to flaunt the fact that she was his date. But upon closer inspection of the rose, she decided that it was bigger than a corsage, anyway, and that it was unique. She liked to stand out amongst the crowd; she had already attracted a lot of attention so far.

But thoughshe did look incredibly seductive and gorgeous to everyone else, the only guy she was trying to impress thought that she was trying too hard. Drew had struggled to not grimace when he first laid eyes on her that evening when he went to go pick her up at her house. May never revealed as much skin as Skyler did nor was she ever so annoying. He just wondered where the brunette was and what she currently looked like...

Before Drew could respond to Skyler, the room was suddenly illuminated by the glow of the setting sun outside of the double doors. His along with many other heads turned immediately to see the new arrivals to prom, and their jaws dropped when they saw who. Cam, Natalie, Paul, Dawn, Jimmy, Marina, Brendan and May all strolled in, arms linked with their respective partners. Out of the eight of them, Marina attracted the most attention with her remarkable beauty; she truly did look like a goddess sent from Arceus. But Drew could hardly care less about her or about the others. The only one that really caught his eyes was May.

She was positively glowing in her dress, shining light in the room even when the doors closed behind her and her friends. She walked with a kind of refined elegance and finesse that he had never seen her walk with before. How any female could manage to look that stunning was beyond his comprehension. He desperately longed to be in Brendan's shoes, to have May holding on to _his_ arm for the night. It took all of his willpower to keep himself from forcing his way through the crowd in order to get to her, especially when the first slow song began to play. It ached seeing Brendan with the privilege of taking her into his arms.

"She's beautiful," he whispered to no one in particular but himself as he placed his hands on Skyler's hips subconsciously while her arms went around his neck.

The blonde's perfectly plucked brows furrowed in confusion before she turned her head to find the girl that her date was gawking at. She glared when she found out that it was May, but she refrained from throwing a fit. She decided that the brunette was not a worthy opponent. The only real threat to herself that night was Marina, and she wasn't the one that Drew was staring at. She saw no point in spoiling the first slow dance of the night for someone like May Maple.

"Could you go get me a glass of punch, Drew?" she eventually asked when she saw a few of the couples from the dance floor heading to the white tables after the first slow song was over.

Drew nodded eagerly. It was an untimely request on her part for he had been yearning to head to the tables, anyway. May was conveniently standing near a punch bowl with Brendan, laughing over some joke that the guy must have told.

"I'll be right back," he told her, and gave her a reassuring pat on the arm before taking his leave.

He kept his eyes on May the whole time as he maneuvered through the group of people on the dance floor. By the time he got to her, he was pleased to see that Brendan had left her side to go to the bathroom. He offered her his smirk when she noticed him.

"Good evening, May," he greeted, coming up beside her at the punch bowl.

"Hey, Drew," she greeted back, and sized him up. "You look nice tonight."

Drew chuckled and flipped his hair with his thumb. "I know," he said arrogantly, but with a soft smile to make the comment less cocky.

May, however, still rolled her eyes just the same, and stifled a chuckle.

Drew felt something flutter in his stomach as he appraised her in return. He had already done so from afar when she arrived in the gym, but seeing her up close was far more different. More satisfying. He could see every aspect of her from where he stood, and he loved every single one.

"You look nice, too. Though I think 'beautiful' is the better word to describe you," he said, unable to resist.

May laughed aloud and gave him an amused, disbelieving look. "I know you're just making fun of me, but thanks for that."

"No, really, you do," Drew insisted with a laugh as well; her laughter was awfully contagious. "Do you know how many heads you turned when you first walked in here?"

"Stop lying! I did not."

"Why do you insist on arguing with me?" Drew exclaimed with fake exasperation.

The two laughed again.

Just then, the second slow song of the night began to play. A pleasant melody with romantic lyrics; it was the perfect song to sway to. Drew could not pass up the opportunity when it had just presented itself at such an appropriate time, so he seized it.

"Do you think Brendan would mind if I borrowed you for this dance?" he asked her.

"I would think not, but I don't think Skyler would appreciate me dancing with _her_ date," she replied.

"I'm sure she's generous enough to loan me to you for one whole dance," Drew insisted, making sure to emphasize that he wanted one _whole _dance with her. "I mean, even if it's hard to share someone as good-looking as myself, she'll manage."

May rolled her eyes again and shook her head at his arrogance. She then made a show of tapping her chin in contemplation, while humming thoughtfully. A few seconds later, she turned to him and offered her hand.

"Well then, may I have this dance Mr. Good-Looking?" she asked with a cheeky smile.

"I believe it's the guy's job to ask that, but sure, Beautiful," he responded, smirking as he took her hand.

With that, Drew led May to the dance floor, where he placed his hands on her hips and she placed hers on his shoulders. Together, they commenced their dancing to the lyrics of the song.

_One of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right_  
><em>I'm tripping on words<em>  
><em>You've got my head spinning<em>  
><em>I don't know where to go from here<em>

As the words flowed from the lead singer's mouth, into the microphone, and through the speakers, Drew couldn't help but think about how content he would be with dancing with May like this for the rest of the night. She really did get his head spinning just by staring at him with those dazzling sapphire blue eyes of hers.

_'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do_  
><em>Nothing to prove<em>  
><em>And it's you and me and all other people<em>  
><em>And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you<em>

_There's something about you now  
>I can't quite figure out<br>Everything she does is beautiful  
>Everything she does is right<em>

Like the song, Drew could not keep his eyes off of her. It was amazing, the effect that the brunette had on him. Ever since he had first laid eyes on her that faithful day one month ago in their Pokémon Contest Appeals class, he had been intrigued and captivated. Maybe it was her disinterest in him, her gorgeous eyes, how he couldn't dazzle her the way he did every single female in his life, or the adorable way that she had bounced her leg up and down as she had taken her notes—something about her had just drew him to her. He could not deny that he felt something for her, something that was urging him to just lean in to kiss her. But despite how much he wanted to, he fought the urge. He couldn't kiss her. Not yet at least.

_'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do_  
><em>Nothing to lose<em>  
><em>And it's you and me and all other people<em>  
><em>And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you<em>  
><em>and me and all other people with nothing to do<em>  
><em>Nothing to prove<em>  
><em>And it's you and me and all other people<em>  
><em>And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you<em>

As the song slowly drew to a close, Drew found himself reluctant to give May up so quickly. The time had gone by way too fast for his liking; he hadn't had enough of her yet. Just a little while longer, he just wanted to have her to himself for just a little while longer. One song was simply not enough.

"Our dates wouldn't mind another song, right?" he murmured.

To his delight, she chuckled and shook her head.

"I'm sure it wouldn't kill them," she insisted.

Drew smiled and moved his hands to wrap around her lower back, drawing her closer to him.

_A strangled smile fell from your face_  
><em>It kills me that I hurt you this way<em>  
><em>The worst part is that I didn't even know<em>  
><em>Now there's a million reasons for you to go<em>  
><em>But if you can find a reason to stay<em>

"May I cut in?" an unexpected voice asked spontaneously.

The song was just beginning to enter its chorus when the voice brought an abrupt end to Drew's bliss. At that moment, he yearned to have his flygon blow the unwelcomed person to bits with its Hyper Beam, but May's reaction confused him enough to prevent him from angrily snapping at the boy.

The girl was now staring with disbelief at someone over his shoulder, whom he assumed to be the owner of the voice. She had frozen instantly at the sound of the voice, unable to believe that she was hearing it in person—and at her prom of all places!

It was a familiar voice. A low, yet soft voice. A husky, yet smooth voice. A warm voice that she knew so well. A voice whose owner she had longed to see for months.

The voice of Gary Oak.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Yeah, uhm, cliff hanger, eh? Heh heh...don't hate me, but the chapter was getting kind of long. :P Hope I was doing a good job with the description of the girls' prom assembles, I will have the links on my profile in a day or so. As for now, please review, review, review! Hope you enjoyed, stay tuned for the next chapter next Saturday. :)

_You & Me  
>Whatever It Takes<br>_Songs by Lifehouse


	8. Prom Crasher

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>LOLz, your reviews were too funny! xD Thanks so much! I literally want to hug each and every one of you when I read them! *hugs* Happy reading, hope you enjoy! Remember to review, review, review! You did an amazing job last chapter; I'm seven reviews away from reaching 100 now! :D<p>

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>Blademon:<strong>__ Awh, thanks for reading my fanfiction instead of sleeping! :)  
><em>_**iCanSeeTheLight:**__ Hah! No actually, I didn't do it on purpose, completely by accident. :) But you'll be reading her reaction in this chapter!  
><em>_**tinytogepilover: **__Thanks!  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Lol, thank you!  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Yes! I just realized how mean I've been to Brendan. Sorry buddy! :P  
><em>_**misspokemonpro:**__ I agree with you on that one, Contestshipping is my favorite pairing out of all the Pokémon ones. Hope I didn't keep you waiting long! :)  
><em>_**chocolatehell: **__Lol, I kinda figured. Hi there! :D And yes, I love Lifehouse! I haven't heard Hanging By A Moment before though, I should go check it out... I'm bringing Brendan into the picture in this chapter and hah! I love what you said about Skyler! :) As for the music from the two artists you requested, I chose one of them to put in this chapter. I hope you like my choice! Oldies ftw.3  
><em>_**Monochrome13: **__Hah, same! :D  
><em>_**LuvAllPokemon:**__ Ahah, we have someone on Gary's side! :D  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ First off, I LOVE your username! Second, thank you! Hope I don't keep you waiting long!  
><em>_**SiennaxShipper:**__ I'M HYPER TOO! :)  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ I do! I get a lot of laughs out of it when you do! And really? I'm glad you like it with all of it's love-squaredness! You know, I hadn't even noticed that it was a love square until you pointed it out. Thanks :D  
><em>_**leotinees:**__ Hah! I can just imagine May sprouting Beautifly wings and flying away xD  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies:**__ I'm glad you thought that! That means I did a good job with my descriptions, score! But you don't have to beg, here's the next chapter! :D  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Lifehouse ftw!3 I still remember my formal night (we call it a formal here too, it's basically a prom for middle school :), it was so fun! The links to the dresses, shoes, hairstyles, etc are up on my profile now, go check them out if you'd like. Poor Gary, don't hate the poor guy. :)  
><em>_**light-chiix3:**__ Hah! All your questions will be answered in this chapter :]  
><em>_**Horselover:**__ Thank you!  
><em>_**ObviouslyAsian C:**__ Thanks!  
><em>_**EvansxAlburn:**__ Thank you!_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 8<strong>

* * *

><p>From beneath his touch, Drew could feel May freeze, and so he stopped moving as well. Then, he looked at her eyes, followed the direction in which they were staring, and turned around to find a spiky brown-haired guy.<p>

The guy was clad in a casual, yet formal outfit, consisting of a black V-neck tee under a dark grey blazer, with black slacks and black dress shoes, that gave him a bit of added height. Despite them though, anyone could have seen that his height exceeded Drew's; he easily towered over Drew by at least three inches. Had the expression that he wore on his face been less warm, he could have easily intimidated anyone by his height alone. He was the one who had asked the question.

Drew didn't recognize the guy from school, but he _did_ recognize him from everywhere else. The internet, magazines, newspapers, television—they had all, at some point if not currently, had some type of article that revolved around the guy standing before him.

The guy was Gary Oak, grandson of the famous Professor Oak of the Kanto region, and a well-known Pokémon Professor himself. He was also the Gary that Max was talking about. The Gary that May was apparently in love with. His competition.

Drew could not believe it. Never in a million years would he have guessed that his competition would be Professor Oak's _grandson_. He had to admit, he had been trying to convince himself that Gary was someone who was beneath him in all aspects, whether it was in physical appearance, skill with pokémon, or popularity with the girls. He had never expected the guy to be _Gary Oak_.

The guy was known worldwide, and it wasn't _just_ for his blood ties with a famous professor. It was for his reputation as the "Heartthrob Professor", his history of winning gym matches and participating in Pokémon Leagues, his ease with working with pokémon, and all of his success as a professor at such a young age. The guy even had his own cheerleading squad following him around back when he was only ten! Had he chosen to continue his pokémon training career, he would probably still have one.

Drew never would have guessed that May would have even known the brunet, let alone be "head over heels" for him since she was twelve. When would she have met him, anyway? She would have been on her journey with her brother, Ash, and Brock at that age, so it could not have been then. And it could not have been while she was attending Lilycove University High because, from what Drew heard, Gary had been home-schooled by his grandfather—who would need to attend an actual school if they had _Professor Oak _to _personally_ homeschool them, anyway?—so it could not have been during school.

It also could not have been recently because, from what Drew remembered, the brunet professor had been in the Sinnoh region conducting research with Professor Rowan for the past couple of months. In fact, he still should have been conducting research in the Sinnoh region with Professor Rowan. So why was he in the Hoenn region? And at the Lilycove University High prom out of all places?

"Gary!"

It all happened so fast then that Drew could not even registered what had happened. One second, he still had his hands on May's back, holding her in place as they danced. The next, his hold was broken and May was gone from in front of him.

He stood frozen and dumbfounded, still unable to grasp what had just happened in that short amount of time until a laugh that came from behind him eventually snapped him out of his daze. He turned around to find that May had flung herself into Gary's arms, clinging onto him as he held her to himself securely with his arms around her waist. Anger instantly surged through Drew's veins and enveloped him like a wave.

"What are you doing here? I thought you said you weren't going to be able to make it!" May asked breathlessly, pulling away from Gary, who still kept his hold around her waist.

From all around them, her classmates had slowed in their dancing or paused whatever they were doing to stare in her direction, whispering amongst themselves as they took in the sight of her being hugged by the famous Gary Oak. Envy was more than evident on each and every one of the girls's faces, including Skyler, who had been standing off to the side sipping a glass of punch that she had to get herself since Drew failed—or rather, _neglected_— to do so. She had been glaring at May when she had begun dancing with Drew earlier, but now she was practically gaping in awe.

"I wasn't originally, but Professor Rowan suggested that we do some research in Lilycove for the weekend, so I figured I'd come for at least one dance with you," Gary explained.

His explanation instantly earned him a huge grin from May, who pulled herself in for another hug with a happy squeal. He laughed lightly before he glanced at Drew with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry for interrupting your dance, by the way. I just wanted to give May a surprise," he said.

Drew mustered his best smile, but it ended up looking like a strained grimace. "No worries," he replied flatly.

"I can wait for the next dance if you'd like," Gary offered politely, his arms slowly dropping from May's waist.

The brunette pouted slightly.

"That won't be necessary," a voice inserted before Drew could reply.

The three of them turned to find Skyler heading up to Drew, easing herself into his arms while wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thanks for keeping my date company while I was in the bathroom, May. I'll take it from here," she said, a fake smile plastered on her face.

With that, she began to coordinate her steps so that she and Drew danced away from the brown-haired duo, leaving May blinking in surprise.

"Thanks for that," Drew murmured once he and Skyler were out of Gary and May's hearing range. He didn't want to say it aloud, but her timing was truly impeccable; she had saved him from any further humiliation.

Never before in his lifetime had he ever felt so humiliated. There had never been a time before when a girl had chosen another guy over him. He had never experienced the feeling of rejection because he was always the one doing the rejecting, not the other way around. The feeling was an uncomfortable stinging right in his chest, and it hurt. It was his first time feeling that way and he did not like it one bit.

Instinctively, his eyes swung over to Gary and May, who were now laughing as they danced together, both lost in their own world, with many people watching them with a sense of envy. Envy directed at her for dancing with him. Envy directed at him for dancing with her. Envy at the both of them for being so damn happy. Drew had been so lost in watching them that it wasn't until Skyler spoke up that he actually turned his attention back to her.

"Your welcome," she said, but her tone made it clear that he wasn't welcome in the slightest.

They danced for a little while—or in Drew's case, mindless rhythmic stepping as he watched a certain couple—until Skyler finally grew tired of being neglected by her date.

May _was_—as much as Skyler hated to admit—really beautiful in her dress and she _was_ dancing with one of the most sought-after bachelors in the world, but it didn't matter in that moment. _She_ was Drew's rightful date, and she refused to be ignored any longer. With a tug of his arm, she brought his eyes back to her and smiled a fake, sweet smile, demanding his total attention.

"I know it hurts to see them together, but I won't serve as a replacement for long," she said in a voice that was strained due to her attempt to suppress her anger. Then, she leaned in to whisper warningly into his ear. "This is also a once-in-a-lifetime event, Drew. Don't ruin it for me."

Drew swallowed and nodded slightly before pulling her in closer to him, his expression growing hard and stern when he rested his neck on her shoulder. In return, Skyler leaned in to rest her cheek against his shoulder, satisfied enough to enjoy the rest of her night, but not enough to keep herself from glaring at May.

"I just can't believe you're here," May whispered to Gary, still unable to accept the fact that he was actually at her prom.

It bugged her that he was able to come but couldn't be her date. If only Professor Rowan had decided earlier that he wanted to do research in Lilycove then maybe he could have. She silently cursed the man in her head.

"I really am here, May," Gary chuckled.

To prove it, he leaned down to nudge her forehead affectionately with his, which flustered her to no end. The girls, who were watching them, all gaped behind their dates' backs.

"Uh-until when?" May stuttered, an evident blush slowly developing across her cheeks.

Gary was just too gorgeous and dazzling for his own good. She hoped he wouldn't be able to hear her heart palpitating in her chest.

"I'll be here for the weekend, and then I'm going back to Sinnoh," he told her.

She almost frowned in disapproval before she was struck with fear when a thought came to her.

"Will you be here for my graduation?" she asked, her eyes widening slightly in fright.

"Of course!" the brunet exclaimed immediately, as if it should have been a given. "Why wouldn't I be here for such a significant event in your life?"

May smiled sheepishly before she ducked her head to hide the ever-growing blush on her face. Once she was certain that it wouldn't be as noticeable, she lifted her head to meet his eyes. Even in the dim lights, his gentle black eyes were crystal clear, accented by his glowing skin. The two orbs had the ability to charm even a primeape out of its rage. They were what she loved most about his handsome face.

"Alright then—I'm reassured," she laughed.

He smiled in response and pulled her closer to himself.

She sighed with content and buried the side of her face into the crook of his neck while they danced to the rest of the song.

_There's no love, like your love  
>And no other, could give more love<br>There's nowhere, unless you're there  
>All the time, all the way, yeah<em>

_Look into your heart, baby_

_Oh, you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for_  
><em>I can't help it, there's nothin' I want more<em>  
><em>Yeah, I would fight for you, I'd lie for you<em>  
><em>Walk the wire for you, yeah I'd die for you<em>

_You know it's true_  
><em>Everything I do, oh, I do it for you<em>

_Everything I do, darling_  
><em>And we'll see it through<em>  
><em>Oh we'll see it through<em>  
><em>Oh yeah<em>

"That song ended quicker than I wanted it to," Gary whispered after the music began to fade away into silence.

His hold around May's waist noticeably loosened and she looked up at him questioningly.

"I have to go," he told her, nodding his head in the direction of the left wall, where a clock was mounted, displaying the current time. Both of the hands were just a little ways away from landing on the eleven.

A wave of disappointment instantly washed over May and showed on her face when she frowned, her sapphire orbs clouded over with sadness.

"Why so soon?" she acquired.

"I promised Professor Rowan I'd only be here for a song; I have to get back before eleven-fifteen."

"Are you going to spend time with me this weekend then, or are you going to be spending the entire time doing research?"

May had tried to make the last part sound as casual as possible, but it sounded a bit sour, even in her ears.

"With you, definitely—you're far more important," Gary assured her, and she grinned in satisfaction.

Next thing she knew, he had cupped her cheek in one hand and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. The feel of his lips against her skin instantly sent her heart racing again. Many jaws of the girls who had been watching them hit the floor simultaneously.

"You look beautiful tonight, by the way," he murmured when he pulled away, but May could not find the words to respond.

A soft smile graced his handsome face as he backed away from her.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he affirmed, and turned to walk through the group of dancing couples, who all made way for him.

And then he was gone.

* * *

><p>"He kissed you! He kissed you!" Dawn all but squealed to May after she and Paul joined their friends beside one of the white snack tables.<p>

"Shush!" May ordered her, quickly throwing a hand over the blunette's mouth, while her cheeks became flushed with the color of a tomato berry.

She still had not gotten over the kiss yet, and the fluttering in her stomach had yet to cease. Dawn's enthusiasm over the matter certainly didn't help.

"But he kissed you!" the blunette exclaimed when May removed her hand. "_Why_ did he kiss you? Are you guys dating now? Why'd he leave? Why _in the hell_ would he leave if—"

Dawn was silenced once again when Natalie nudged her in the arm. Hard.

"Ow! What did I do?" she cried, while rubbing the spot that Natalie had nudged her.

"Dawn, will you _please_ keep it down?" Marina whispered. "Everyone saw it—you don't have to announce it to the entire senior class. It's bad enough that May's been receiving death glares from every girl since it happened. Don't make it any worse for her."

"Expect Dawn to always be the one to put every little thing on blast," Paul mumbled with an eye roll, which earned him a glare from his girlfriend. He responded to it with a glare of his own that was enough to make her drop the case before she could protest.

"Paul, quit being mean to your girlfriend before she goes all glameow on you," Jimmy snickered from beside Marina.

This, of course, got Dawn to get on his case and the two began to bicker, much to the aggravation of Paul and Marina, who both looked at each other before rolling their eyes and crossing their arms over their chests.

"Grow up, guys," both Cam and Natalie said at the same time.

Dawn and Jimmy turned around to face them and, before they had a chance to defend themselves, snapped at them both.

Meanwhile, Brendan and May had remained silent the entire time throughout the conversations between their friends. May was still recovering from the shock from Gary's kiss and coming to terms with the fact that it had actually happened. The feeling of his lips still lingered on her forehead, as if he had just kissed her instead of an hour before.

Dawn had spoken the question that she had been asking herself in her head since he had done so: why _had_ Gary kissed her? She wasn't complaining about it, but it had been distracting her all night. Not to mention, it had left every girl in the room—aside from Dawn, Marina, and Natalie—glaring at her like there was no tomorrow. It made her extremely uncomfortable and self-conscious; she felt as if she was going to be mauled to death at any second.

"They're going to be arguing for while. Let's go and dance," Brendan suddenly whispered to May.

She nodded and slipped her hand into his, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor once again, where they wrapped their arms around each other to dance.

_I am thinking of you  
>In my sleepless solitude tonight<br>If it's wrong to love you  
>Then my heart just won't let me be right<br>'Cause I've drowned in you  
>And I won't pull through<br>Without you by my side_

_I'd give my all to have  
>Just one more night with you<br>I'd risk my life to feel  
>Your body next to mine<br>'Cause I can't go on  
>Living in the memory of our song<br>I'd give my all for your love tonight_

_Baby can you feel me_  
><em>Imagining I'm looking in your eyes<em>  
><em>I can see you clearly<em>  
><em>Vividly emblazoned in my mind<em>  
><em>And yet you're so far<em>  
><em>Like a distant star<em>  
><em>I'm wishing on tonight<em>

_I'd give my all to have  
>Just one more night with you<br>I'd risk my life to feel  
>Your body next to mine<br>'Cause I can't go on  
>Living in the memory of our song<br>I'd give my all for your love tonight_

_Give my all for your love  
>Tonight<em>

Brendan remained silent as he held May in his arms, just as he had for most of the night after he had returned from the bathroom to find Gary kissing her forehead. He had had a glass of punch in his hand at the time when the brunet had kissed her, and he nearly dropped it in shock, which was instantly overcome by pain. To say that his night had been simply crushed was the understatement of the decade. The sight had not been a pleasant one, especially on a night where May was supposed to be his and only his until he had to wake up the next morning to a reality where she wasn't.

For a few hours—just a few hours—he would have liked to have had her by his side without the constant reminder that her heart belonged to someone else. To a lucky guy whose name was, unfortunately, Gary Oak, not Brendan Birch. Though he knew how much his best friend liked the guy, he couldn't bring himself to be entirely happy for her. He would have liked to, but he couldn't. How could he be completely happy for his best friend if she was in love with a guy that wasn't him?

The kiss had been like a smack in the face for him, waking him up from the illusion that he had been living for the past four years of his life. He could not believe how stupid he had been for thinking that he actually had a chance with her. It was so obvious that he had never had it—and most likely, never will have it—if a simple kiss on the forehead from Gary could make May so happy. She made it seem like she wasn't, but Brendan knew (because he knew her) that she was just repressing the excitement, containing it inside herself to avoid angering the girls in the room even further.

The pain from it all engulfed him, submerging him in an ocean of despair and drowning him in his misery. He kept the emotions from showing on his face, but everything was reflected in his smoldering amber-colored eyes. The anger at himself for keeping his feelings from her. The pity towards himself for not being good enough to win her heart. The sorrow he felt at the loss of the slight chance that he had thought he had had to becoming something more to May than just her best friend.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Don't you guys just pity Brendan? The poor guy. :'( Did you guys like Skyler's reaction though? She was maaaadddd! xD And did you like the song I chose **chocolatehell**? Hope you did! :) Please tell me what you guys thought in your reviews! Thanks for reading!

_(Everything I Do) I Do It For You  
><em>Bryan Adams

_My All  
><em>Mariah Carey


	9. More To It

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

* * *

><p>I finally reached over 100 reviews and it's all thanks to you wonderful people! Thank you all so much for all of the support you've been giving my fanfiction so far, please keep it up! I appreciate it so much! Love you all loads :D Hahaha, you reviews made me feel so bad for what I did to Brendan! Let's all give him a big hug shall we? *group hug with Brendan* Hehehe, I'll give him some happiness in some chapter in the future.<p>

Now, before I let you guys read I'd like to do a little explaining. The battle that is hinted at in the summary of this fanfiction is going to take place in this chapter (yay!) so I will be describing moves that will be used by Drew and May's Pokémon. I just wanted to let you all know that all the moves I make them use are moves that they are capable of using, I didn't make them up. Also, I know that in the games, each Pokémon is only capable of knowing four moves at a time, but, since I found it so boring, I'm letting every Pokémon I mention in this fanfiction know more than four moves. Hope you guys like that. Happy reading! Please review! :)

P.S. Oh, and uhm, this chapter ended up being really long for reasons unknown to even me. Heh heh heh...sorry :P

**_Responses to Reviews...  
><em>**_**Shikishima:**__ They're not, this is a Contestshipping fanfiction silly! I just thought it'd be fun to add in a little Brunetteshipping moment xD  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Don't you? I felt so bad doing what I'm doing to Brendan :( Drew not so much though, he'll win in the end anyways. I'll just make him suffer for now :P Thanks for your compliment on my depiction of the different point-of-views! Glad to know I'm doing good with this third-person-omniscient writing. :P  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies:**__ I feel terrible for Brendan :( I'm so mean... But oh hoho, is she ever! I'm so jealous of her! LOLZ! :D But request no more, here it is :)  
><em>_**LuvAllPokemon:**__ I feel horrible! And hah! I'm right with you with Drew and Skyler, except I didn't pity her at all. I'll explain how they met in this chapter (or rather, May is going to explain it to you guys and Drew :p). But I'll leave you in charge of that sheet! I'm the worst at geometry haha!  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl: **__That was one of the cutest reviews ever hahah! So cute :)  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ Yes, let's all give the poor Brendan a hug. :( And good! I've never actually listened to his music before, I'm glad I managed to choose a good one! And yes, I'd be the one to have a secret spazz attack in my room if my lifelong crush kissed me! And because I'm a cruel person muahahaha :3 LOLZ! Totally agree with the Skyler part. I checked out your new story, too, did you get my review? :D (I totally just did a little dance because I accidentally rhymed...I'm such a dork :p)  
><em>_**misspokemonpro: **__Thanks!  
><em>_**iCanSeeTheLight:**__ Oh, I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. You'll have to read to find out. :)  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Thanks! Hah, all my friends criticize my taste in music! I'm glad someone thinks it's epic! And no rushy! I updated silly goose! :D  
><em>_**ObviouslyAsian C: **__No need to thank me for updating, that's my job! Thank _you_ though for reviewing! :)  
><em>_**xxTheBloddyRosexx:**__ It's fine! Start making up for it now! I appreciate everything you said though! Thank you so much :)  
><em>_**Catrina7077:**__ I love you too! Brunetteshipping, woot woot! :) (don't worry people, this is still a Contestshipping fanfiction hah!)  
><em>_**light-chiix3:**__ Haha, isn't Gary such a romantic? It's hard not to root for him! :D But yes, May is Drew's! As for proms, it's basically a big dance at the end of the year for the graduating class (the seniors of the school). Depending on whether or not your school allows it, dates from outside of school may be allowed. If they don't allow it, I think they'd have someone at the doors to keep strangers from going in or they'd just keep them locked (sorry, I'm not really sure about that part because my school allows dates from outside of school :p). And you're Italian? That's great! I think Italians are so beautiful! I wish I was Italian, or at least mixed. I envy you :P Thanks for loving my story more! :D  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Pssh, there's no such thing as late reviewing, just so long as you review before the next update! :D I've decided to find someone for Brendan in the future of this fanfiction, I feel bad now hah. :( Drew's not giving up though silly goose, he still has a lot of fighting to do for May's affections. :) I'm going to add a couple of Ikari moments, too, hah, it's a funny pairing. And I did laugh! You're always so funny in your reviews hah! Thanks so much for your support!  
><em>_**LiteBulb:**__ Thank you!  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ It does! Even though that was my second thought. When I first saw it, I immediately thought of The Last Goodnight's album "Poison Kiss". Go check out the album cover and you'll understand. :) Drew _will_win though, so pity Brendan all you'd like. The poor guy, I'm such a mean person. :p_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 9<strong>

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><p>Time could have gone a lot slower for May's liking; it seemed all too soon that the weekend she got to spend with Gary had passed. Already, the brunet was on a ferry back to Sinnoh, which meant she would not be seeing him until her graduation ceremony two days later on the approaching Wednesday, the first day of spring. All she had to do was endure the last two days of school—which wasn't very hard considering all of the schoolwork and finals had been put behind her—and she would officially be graduating from Lilycove University High. Then, at last, she would be able to set off on her own journey. <em>Finally<em>.

May had it all planned out for herself. She would spend the rest of spring in Lilycove with her family and friends until the first day of summer. Then, she would set out on the ferry at the Lilycove Dock with Blaziken by her side (she would leave the rest of her team with her mom) to either the Sinnoh region (mostly because she wanted an excuse to visit Gary) or the Kanto region. She was, however, leaning more towards the Kanto region because she was really looking forward to visiting her old friends, Ash and Brock. It had been a while since she had last seen them—a good four to five years perhaps?—and she was missing them more and more with each passing day. It would be nice to see them again.

"Are you paying attention to me?" a voice suddenly demanded.

May snapped out of her daze and turned to her right to find Drew sitting beside her on the bleachers built in one of the large battle rooms that they were in. They were currently in Mr. Ellis's class, watching as their classmates each volunteered to battle against one another. Two of their classmates, Aaron and Kristen, were currently pitting their arbok and dodrio against one another, launching attack after attack until either the time ran out or one of them lost all of their points.

May had thought that Drew would be busy watching the battle, but instead, he was staring at her with another one of his arrogant expressions. But currently, it was fused with chagrin and accompanied by a slight pout. The look was so comical that she almost giggled.

"Obviously not," she mumbled, while resting her elbow on her knee and propping her chin up on her fist to distract him from the slight upward twitch of her lips.

"Well, then start paying attention," Drew snapped in a bossy manner. "I had a question to ask you."

"Fine, then repeat it Andrew. I'm _all_ ears," the brunette droned with a roll of her eyes.

Drew pretended to ignore it. "I asked you, how about we have a battle right now?"

May smirked and turned her head slightly to the side to face him. "Alright, why not? I'll volunteer us right now."

She began to raise her hand, but Drew pulled it back down.

"I want to make it more fun, though," he told her, and she cocked an eyebrow at him, urging him to go on. "If you lose, you'll have to travel with me after graduation."

May nearly choked on the mint-flavored gum that she had been chewing on in her mouth. She hadn't expected him to say that, or even anything remotely close to it. Travel with him? If she _lost_? How could she agree to that? There was no way she could agree to that. Impossible. Never in a million years.

"You've got to be kidding me," she laughed disbelievingly, but when she saw how serious he looked, she frowned. "No way. I refuse."

"Afraid you'll lose, huh?"

"What? No!" May nearly screeched, though it was partially a lie.

It wasn't that she wasn't good at battling, no. But if Drew still battled like he did in some of the reruns of the contests that he had participated in in the past (he had made her watch them once when he was over her house) then she would have herself quite a bit of a challenge. One that she was just not willing to wager her solo journey for.

"I just don't want to risk having to travel with you," she quickly reasoned.

Ouch, Drew hadn't expected her to be so straightforward. He had doubted that she would agree to it before he had even proposed the whole deal, but he didn't think that she would so blatantly say it. He would be lying if he said her words hadn't stung, but his unbelievably large ego forbade him to let her know that it did.

So, he decided to try the taunting approach. He knew enough about her to know that if all else failed, taunting was as good a choice as any to get her to agree to something.

"If you were more confident with yourself, then you wouldn't be worrying about that," he said coolly. "Just admit that you're afraid you'll lose to me because you know for a fact that I'm much better at battling than you are."

"I refuse to admit it because it isn't true," she retorted immediately.

"Yes, it is," he continued.

"_No_, it's not," she refuted stubbornly.

"Uh huh."

"Nuh uh."

"Then, why won't you agree to have a battle with me?"

"Because I don't want to risk it—and I'd rather travel alone," she admitted in an exasperated tone. "Besides, Brendan already volunteered to travel with me if I ever decided I wanted a traveling partner."

Drew swore the brunette brought up Brendan's name just to annoy him sometimes. Of course, he had never told her that the mere mention of the name aggravated him to no end, but he had a feeling that she knew.

"Well, Brendan's going to have to find himself another traveling partner, then," he spat rather harshly.

May glared at him in response. "Don't be rude. If this is how you are most of the time, then I'd rather travel with him than you," she snapped. "Or lock myself up in a lab doing research with Gary in Sinnoh."

The girl sure knew how to hit the nail on the head when it came to hurting Drew. Brendan's name bugged him, yes, but Gary's name downright pained him. Almost as if the name had claws that dug into his heart every time he heard it, it left an uncomfortable tugging feeling in his chest. It was probably the way she said it, how her voice seemed to soften every time, wrapping around the name like a caress, while her expression grew dreamy. The fact that she preferred the brunet over him was almost too much to bear.

"Brendan Birch and Gary Oak...what, are you just attracted to guys who are named after trees?" he asked bitterly.

May gaped disbelievingly at his comment and smacked a hand hard against his bicep, inflicting a stinging pain on both his arm and her hand, which made both of them wince.

"Shut up," she snapped, while blushing madly.

"When did you even meet Gary, anyways?" he demanded rudely as he scowled at her angrily.

"I met him while I was on vacation with my family in the Sinnoh region, but I don't see how that's any of your business," she retorted and turned away from him to watch the remaining minute of the battle.

But the answer was far from being satisfying for Drew.

"How, though?" he catechized. "Did you purposely ask your parents to go to Sandgem Town because you knew he'd be there or something?"

"_No_. He just happened to be in Snowpoint City when we were there."

"And how'd you meet him?"

May recalled the memory of the faithful day she met Gary to Drew with ease and much fondness. She was almost twelve years old at the time that her family all decided to take a vacation in Snowpoint City in the Sinnoh region. They had a few reasons for going to Snowpoint City in particular, one being that Max had a strong passion for snowboarding, so the city with the most bountiful amount of snow seemed the most appropriate to vacation in.

However, the main reason was that May had wanted to evolve her eevee into a glaceon, and the only way to do so was to have her eevee touch a certain rock located somewhere in Route 217, a route southwest from Snowpoint City, known as the "Ice Rock". She had ventured out from the hotel they were staying in with Eevee the day after their arrival to find the rock, plodding through the heavy amounts of snow and squinting behind her goggles to keep the snowflakes out of her eyes.

Much to her disappointment, she had wound up not finding it, even after two freezing hours—despite how many layers of clothes she had bundled herself up in to keep herself warm—of searching since it was far too concealed in the snow. She had just about turned back around in the direction she had come, when she heard a guy call to her.

"Hey, you're May Maple, right?" the guy she had recognized as Gary Oak had asked.

At the time, May was incredibly baffled. She couldn't believe that Gary Oak, the "Heartthrob Professor" and one of her idols, was standing so close to her. And he knew her name, too! Sure, she had gotten herself on TV a couple of times thanks to the amount of contests that she had won, but it had never occurred to her that _he_ would know her name.

She could barely bring herself to respond then, but when she did, she had stammered.

Gary had ignored it, however, and went right to offering to help her find the Ice Rock (having assumed that it was what she was looking for since she had had an eevee in her arms) and the two immediately set out together.

The conversations had flowed easily after that, thanks to Gary's conversationalist trait. They mostly talked about their occupations—Gary's research and May's coordinating—as he led her through the snow, and they got to know one another as well. After her eevee evolved into a glaceon, he had walked her back to her hotel, where they exchanged contact information and a promise to meet again.

After that, their friendship just clicked and steadily, as they continued to see each other on occasion and kept in constant touch, her feelings for him blossomed. They had only gotten stronger since.

"So, you have a glaceon?" Drew asked after she was finished recalling her tale.

He didn't want to hear anymore about Gary after hearing her story. The way she spoke about the guy was filled with too much fondness for his liking. The words practically clawed at his ears and wrung his heart.

"Uh huh," she responded, a dreamy smile still on her face.

"Then battle against me with it."

The smile fell and she turned to him with a disapproving look. "No way. We already had a battle in this class and I won, remember?"

"No? Don't _you_ remember? I gave the win to you last time to make up for causing you to fall into the pool. So, technically, you didn't win," Drew explained matter-of-factly.

"But that doesn't mean I have to travel with you if I lose! That's hardly fair," May protested.

And it wasn't, but Drew didn't care if it was or not. The only thing he cared about was whether or not she would agree to the whole thing so that he could beat her and then travel with her. It would be difficult to persuade her to go, but he wouldn't give up that easily.

"So, you think you have a chance of losing?" he tried.

"A small one, but it's still a chance," she admitted.

"Then, what're you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything?"

"Then, why aren't you agreeing to the battle?"

He took the short amount of time it took for her to think of a response to volunteer them before another one of their classmates did or she could object any further.

"Mr. Ellis!" he called to the teacher, who was currently sitting in front of the computer on the far corner of the room. "Can May and I battle next?"

"Sure thing!" the blond teacher called back without looking up.

May turned to Drew with a disbelieving look, but he was already walking down the seats. "You're incorrigible!" she called to him.

"Oh, hey, you know big words!" he chuckled back sarcastically, causing a couple of their classmates to snicker.

May stepped down after him, a blush evident on her face, while she glared at the back of his head.

"I should get Glaceon to freeze his mouth up when we're done," she mumbled under her breath.

"I heard that," Drew growled, turning around to meet her gaze, but she walked right past him.

"You heard nothing, Andrew," she insisted. "Let's just get this battle over with, so that I can beat you."

By the time Drew and May reached the battle field, Mr. Ellis had already programmed the large display screen mounted on the wall so that it showed both of their pictures, two full meters to keep track of their points, and one single timer in the center that had a five-minute time limit.

The rules of the battle were the ones for any standard pokémon contest battle, except for their private wager. The field that was randomly selected for them was a grass one, though the first one had been a water field, but May had requested that Mr. Ellis try again with the selector since she refused to be anywhere near a water field with Drew around her. Drew had rolled his eyes, while the class had gotten a nice laugh out of that statement.

Once everything was settled, Drew and May both threw out their PokéBalls onto the field in front of them, where their absol and glaceon materialized in a white flash respectively. May wasted no time in launching the first attack the second after Mr. Ellis said they could begin.

"Glaceon, Quick Attack!"

The ice type pokémon obliged immediately and charged with incredible speed, like an arrow, straight at Drew's absol, who stood tall and calm as it waited for its trainer to give it a command. About fifteen copies of the same black and white dark type pokémon circled Glaceon after Drew called for a Double Team attack.

Glaceon slid to an abrupt stop upon seeing so many copies when it had only been focusing on one. It kept its adorable face impassive, while its pretty teal eyes darted in every direction, trying to spot the real Absol.

"Ice Shard!" May cried quickly.

With a simple ruffling of its light blue fur, Glaceon sent sharp shards of ice flying out in all directions to take out every single absol copy, but the real one was quick to leap into the air. May and Glaceon both gritted their teeth in frustration, while Drew smirked.

"Absol, Night Slash!" he called, and Absol reared its head mid-jump, throwing a powerful Night Slash from the black sickle-shaped scythe at the top of its head.

The attack shot down like a bullet so quickly that it was just a blur of various dark hues of purple that was nearly invisible to the human eye. It slashed right into Glaceon before the pokémon could even lift a paw off the ground.

Points were deducted from Drew and May's meters, while Glaceon recovered from the pain inflicted by the Night Slash, but May's meter suffered the most. Already, she had lost a third of her total, while Drew had only lost a fourth. The odds were not turning out in her favor. If the battle continued to go the way that it was going, she would end up traveling with Drew for sure. She couldn't let that happen. She refused to let that happen.

"Glaceon, freeze up the field!" she commanded.

Drew's eyes darted to May in surprise. Had he heard her wrong? Could Glaceon do that? He watched in awe along with everyone else as Glaceon put its special ability into effect.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly grew cold when its body began to glow with an icy blue aura. Ice flowed from the bottom of its deep teal-colored paws and spread across the field, freezing it just like May had instructed it to do.

Drew mentally cursed himself. Thanks to his doubt, he hadn't bothered to think of a way to stop Glaceon from freezing the field. By the time he had registered that the pokémon was capable of doing so, it was already too late. The ice was already pouring across the field like blood from a wound, right underneath Absol, who flinched out of surprise from the unexpected coldness beneath its paws, as the field was made into a diamond dust flurry. Within seconds, the grass was encased in a solid blanket of ice that glistened in the light that flowed from the room. Glaceon had successfully turned the field into an ice field in a matter of seconds.

"Wow, I've never seen anything like that before! Good job, May—I'm impressed!" Mr. Ellis gushed.

And with good reason. The rare sight had truly been a magnificent one that not many people had the privilege of witnessing. It was a beyond impressive demonstration of an ice-type pokémon's power that would have gotten a coordinator a very high, if not perfect score, had it been performed for a contest appeal. Beautiful and menacing—it was the perfect combination of grace and power.

Drew practically growled with agitation caused by the sudden turn of events. Not only had Glaceon managed to get itself a power boost from the ice by its recent act of freezing the field, but it also managed to put its trainer in the lead. He needed to get May's meter down before the time ran out if he wanted to beat her. The timer beeped as the time dwindled down to the final minute, silently telling him to do it and to do it fast.

"Absol, Water Pulse!" he cried.

A surge of water appeared from in front of Absol and rushed forward toward its target, but May was quick to command Glaceon. At the sound of its trainer's voice, Glaceon shot forward using Quick Attack and _ran on top_ of the water, working its way up as if it were running up a flight of stairs. A collective gasp filled the room when Glaceon leapt to the peak of the water and launched a Blizzard at Absol.

The attack soared through the air from Glaceon's mouth, bashed into Absol, and pushed it back a few feet with ease due to the power boost it received from the ice field. Angered, Absol slashed a Razor Wind through the air on its own accord, which surprised both May and Glaceon, who was sent flying back to May.

It leapt back onto its paws and growled menacingly at Absol, who aggressively snarled back. In respect to them, Drew and May glowered at one another. Only ten seconds were left on the clock then, after that, and their points tied. At the same time, they called out their final attacks.

"Absol, Flamethrower!"

"Water Pulse, Glaceon!"

The suspense was heavy, leaving the class and Mr. Ellis gripping their seats and leaning forward in anticipation. Both Absol and Glaceon opened their mouths to unleash a funnel of flames and water respectively.

Fire and water, two opposing types, met at the middle of the field, and were pitted against each other in one final conflict that would determine the fate of Drew and May. Both pokémon kept up their attacks for as long as they could, putting every ounce of their energy into their attacks, while their trainers watched anxiously.

In the end, Absol's Flamethrower prevailed, even though water had the upper edge against fire. The blazing hot flames slammed into Glaceon with immense force—causing it a great deal of damage since Glaceon was an ice type—and sent it flying through the air right into May's arms, where it gave a weak cry before it gave way to the pain and collapsed.

The brunette looked down at her pokémon in horror before she slowly glanced up at the display screen. It was there, clear as day for everyone in the room, including herself, to see. She had lost the battle to Drew.

Normally, a lost battle would have just been a minor disappointment that she would have gotten over after a couple of minutes. But because of the wager, it was a lot more devastating than that because it meant something else entirely other than just a lost battle.

It meant that she would be traveling with Drew.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I _barely_ managed to get this chapter up on time before midnight! Thank gosh I did! Phew! Did you guys like it? How'd I do with writing out the battle scene? I just wanted to remind you all that the attacks that Absol and Glaceon used are all attacks that they are capable of using. The special ability that I wrote about is also an ability that Glaceon has (apparently, according to Bulbapedia) so I didn't make that up on my own. Make sure to tell me what you thought in the reviews! Thanks for reading! :)


	10. Graduation

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

* * *

><p>I actually have nothing to say for once so I'm going to give out hugs once again to all who read, favorited, followed, and especially to those who reviewed! I love all of you very much and I wish you all some happy reading this chapter. Thanks so much for the support, keep it up! :)<p>

_**Responses to Reviews...  
><strong>_**_chocolatehell:_**_ Ramble all you'd like! I love when my reviewers ramble because it gives me more to respond to; it gives me a chance to converse with my readers. :) You were also pretty close to what I had in mind for the next couple of chapters, good job! Thanks for saying that I work wonders by the way. :D And oh...well, I'm not going to ask then hah. :P  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ HAHAHAHA! That's so funny! Shooting someone a sympathetic look when, in reality, you're secretly grinning at them on the inside. HAH! xD  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies:**__ She is...at least in my fanfiction! And yes! I love them all so much! Except Vaporeon and Espeon have always been my favorite. :) I'm glad that you like reading more of my fanfiction! That makes me happy beyond belief! :D  
><em>_**misspokemonpro:**__ Why thank you!  
><em>_**light-chiix3:**__ No problem! And you don't have to envy it! It's no big deal really, just a ball sort of except for high school. :) Thanks though! I'm glad you enjoyed it!  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**_ You're_ awesome! :D  
><em>_**Blademon:**__ ...huh? Hahaha, I'm sorry, I couldn't understand the first word (or words?) :P And hah, I loved your reaction to them traveling together! Heheh ;D  
><em>_**xxTheBloodyRosexx:**__ Haha! I'm glad _someone_ found it funny! When I first realized that, I just cracked up! I had no idea that I had accidentally chosen two male characters that had tree names for a last name. :p Thanks!  
><em>_**Obviously Citra: **__Thanks again! :)  
><em>_**Heatherflower:**__ Heheh, it's okay, I'm lazy all the time, too! Just add me to your favorite authors list when you're not lazy (don't be lazy with the reviewing though xD) Glad you love my fanfic. :)  
><em>_**LuvAllPokemon:**__ Haha, that's why the title has the word 'unexpected' in it! :D  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed: **__Well, you're leaving another beautiful review...as usual. :) And yes, I'm doing really good with it so far, eh? I've been updating consistently every Saturday for the past couple chapters! :D And I will continue to write for as long as I continue getting inspiration and ideas! That sound good? Hope so. Hehe :)  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Mhm, glad I cleared it up for everyone! I technically killed two birds with one stone in this chapter; I got the battle out of the way and the explanation for how Gary and May met. Success ;D Thanks! And your name's Selli? One of my best friend's name is Selli!  
><em>_**Chi-chiwawa:**__ Your name is so cute! I immediately went to go hug my chihuahua when I saw it :) And noooo! You totally just spoiled some of my fanfic! I was planning on adding a part of her jealousy on her part in some future chapter. Goshdarnit. :p It's going to be pretty funny though, I can tell you that. I hope I don't keep you waiting too long. :D  
><em>_**jenniferisvip:**__ Can I just say that I love you too? Like, already, I love you so much just for saying that. You're such a sweetheart, thanks for reading and reviewing! :)_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 10<strong>

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><p>Everyone in the graduating class of Lilycove University High were clad in their white caps and gowns, the gold tassel at the top of their caps swaying at the right side of their heads as they were directed into the seats of the school's auditorium by various members of the faculty. Up on the stage before them, their principal, Dr. Anastasia White, was welcoming all of their families and friends to the ceremony before she stepped down from the microphone to make way for Professor Oak (the old one).<p>

Being a notable figure throughout the world, he had been invited by the school to give the graduating class a commencement speech. It lasted a good twenty minutes before it was Marina's turn to step up to the podium. The girl had been given the honor of giving the valedictory speech for her class because she had ranked number one out of all her classmates academically. She was beaming as she spoke; she had the audience captivated by her charisma and beauty.

Before anyone knew it, her speech was over and the diplomas were getting presented to each student as they were called up to the stage in alphabetic order by last names by the principal. Before long, Dawn was called and after she practically bounced across the stage, it was Brendan's turn.

May watched from her seat as her best friend ascended the small flight of steps to get to the stage. To anyone, the guy would have seemed happy for all of the world to see, but she knew that the happiness was only on the surface. She could see the distant look in those amber-colored eyes of his, even from her seat amongst her sea of classmates. If her memory served her correctly, the very same look had been there since their prom. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she felt that he had been keeping his distance from her ever since that night.

Every time she had seen him, he had simply smiled and walked away. Every text she had sent to him, he had replied with either half-hearted or one-worded responses. Every call she had made to him, he had come up with an excuse and hung up in the next minute. And every hug she had embraced him in, he had held her longer than usual, as if he were reluctant to let her go. As if it would be the last time he would ever hug her again. What was up with him?

One by one, the graduating students were being called up to the stage by Dr. White, who handed their diplomas to them with one hand, while they shook her other hand at the same time. The nervous pit in May's stomach was steadily growing larger as each student's turn ended and hers neared. She could not believe that in less than an hour, she would officially become a graduate of Lilycove University High. Her school days were almost behind her for good, unless she decided to further her education at colleges like Celadon University.

To be honest, college wasn't really necessary after attending a school like Lilycove University High, but it wasn't like May planned on attending college, anyways. She wanted nothing other than to set out on her own journey. She couldn't wait to be traveling on her own again like she had on her journey in the Johto region. The level of freedom she had had was amazing. Out on her own, there was no weight to hold her down or hold her back. She was independent and free to do whatever she pleased, all by herself. And though she would miss her friends, she couldn't wait to have that feeling again.

But then she remembered the wager between her and Drew. She hadn't remembered that little detail until his name was called. As she watched him walk across the stage to get his diploma, she realized with dread that she would not be traveling alone this time around because she had lost to the current bane of her existence two days ago in a mock battle in their Pokémon Contest Appeals class. She groaned mentally when she realized that he was who she had to deal with until she had finished traveling around the Kanto region. It would be months (or maybe even years) before she would be able to rid of his presence. It really wasn't fair, but he didn't seem to care in the slightest.

The selfish grasshead.

The overall distribution of the diplomas went smoothly and quickly. Every student went up when they were called and all accepted their diplomas with proud and relieved smiles, glad to be over and done with school. When the distribution was finished, the farewell speech was given, and when that was over and done with, the students all moved their gold tassels from the right side of their caps to the left as a symbol of rite of passage from students to graduates. They were dismissed from the auditorium and filed out with their friends and family shortly after.

There was a feeling of warmth in the air outside of the school as proof that the first day of spring had indeed brought Lilycove warm weather as promised. Pictures were snapped between the graduates and their family members and friends. The beautiful sunshine provided very nice lighting for each and every one of them, illuminating every single one of the smiles on every single face whether the smiles were happy or sad smiles.

For the most part, the smiles were a mixture of both happiness and sadness. Happiness at getting through the four years of high school in order to graduate, and sadness at having to leave all of the friends that were made throughout those four years. It was both a heart-warming, yet heart-wrenching sight.

"I can't believe we're finally graduates," May said behind her bright smile as she posed for a picture with her friends.

Once the picture was snapped by her mother and her friends' mothers, her smile fell from her face only to be replaced by a sad frown. It was upsetting to know that she had until the end of spring to spend as much time with her friends as possible before they all went their separate ways.

Out of her three closest girl friends, Dawn was the only one who planned to set out on a journey to participate in contests like May was, except that she planned to go to the Johto region instead of Kanto. The other two, Marina and Natalie, didn't have the same plans.

Marina's plan was to continue her modeling career with her pokémon in big cities throughout the regions like Celadon of Kanto, Goldenrod of Johto, Lilycove of Hoenn, etc. But it wasn't that she didn't like battling, participating in contests, or anything of that sort; it was just that she preferred modeling over everything. Like how Dawn and May had a passion for coordinating, she had a passion for modeling that she wasn't willing to give up. It was her life, and she enjoyed it thoroughly; she couldn't think of any other career she wanted to pursue.

She was too beautiful for her modeling agency to give her up anyways. Already, she had made it onto the top ten list of models throughout the entire Hoenn region and onto the top five list of models in the Johto region. No one would be surprised if she wound up placing number one on every list after a few years. Maybe even less.

As for Natalie, she had decided that she wanted to head off to college to study in preparation for her desired career: Pokémon Breeder. When she had first told her friends, they had all wondered why she had chosen a Pokémon Breeding career when she was so good at battling. Before she had moved to Lilycove to attend high school, she had been one of the top trainers throughout the three regions that she had traveled through—Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn—due to the fact that she had won a countless amount of gym battles, defeated the Elite Four of the three regions that she had traveled in, and taken on the Kanto Champion, Lance, with ease.

She also had a wide collection of Pokémon that she had accumulated from each region that she had kept in top condition, even in the four years that she had taken off from battling. It really was a waste, but she preferred tending to Pokémon instead of battling with them. She had a knack for it, too—six of the eight greatest colleges for Pokémon breeding had already accepted her after she had sent in her applications. Everyone she had told were supportive and approving of her decision.

"I know," Dawn sighed. "We need to spend as much time together this spring; I don't know the next time we'll see each other after we all go our separate ways."

"Agreed. It'll probably be months or years before we see each other again. I'll miss you all so much," Natalie added sadly.

Marina said nothing to add to what Natalie said. The only thing she did was blink to hide the fact that her blue eyes had glossed over with tears. She couldn't imagine what life would be like after she and her three girls separated; she hadn't been without them since they all met four years ago on the first day of school. It would be hard getting used to being without them for sure.

But for the moment, she didn't want to think of any of that; she would stress about it enough when the first day of summer drew near. She began to search around for a different topic that she could possibly divert the conversation to. A relieved smile spread across her lips when she saw none other than Gary Oak approaching the three of them, with a gorgeous bouquet of dazzling red roses in his arms. They were for May no doubt.

"Let's not stress about that now. Look who's coming, May," she said, while nudging her friend with her elbow.

May, Dawn, and Natalie all glanced over to find Gary approaching them. Her friends chuckled lightly when May blushed at the sight of him and the red roses.

"We'll leave you two alone," Dawn giggled, and went off with Marina and Natalie in search of their boyfriends.

May blinked in surprise just as Gary came up to her.

"Hey, congratulations," he greeted with a gentle smile. He then handed the bouquet of roses to her before he leaned down to pull her into a hug.

When they broke apart, May gave him a bright smile. "Thanks! Glad you could make it," she replied.

"Well, I couldn't miss seeing you receive your diploma now, could I? I probably felt as proud as your parents seeing you walk across that stage," he told her truthfully and unabashed.

The blush that grew on May's cheeks at his words rivaled the red color of the roses she held in her arms. It seemed to go unnoticed by him, though.

"I had to give you your graduation present, too," he went on to say.

May's eyebrow cocked up in question. "I thought the roses were my present?"

"No, I have something else for you," he told her as he took a step back and reached into the pocket of his pants to retrieve a PokéBall.

May watched as he pressed the white button on the red and white sphere to release the pokémon that was contained inside of it. Her eyes widened when a little lillipup appeared before her very eyes.

The puppy-like pokémon had the most endearing large, soft black eyes, that were the same color as the spiky black stripe on its back, and a red nose that sniffed at May curiously. Its face was covered in an abundance of cream-colored fur, while the rest of its body was covered in glossy tan-colored fur. There really was no other way to describe it other than adorable.

"Oh my Arceus," she breathed in disbelief and leaned down so that she could get a better look of the puppy-like pokémon.

She transferred the bouquet to one arm and reached out tentatively with the other as if she were afraid the pokémon might bolt. When the Pokémon only cocked its head at her, she took it into her free arm and stood back up.

"_This_ little cutie is your graduation present for me?" she asked Gary.

Gary grinned widely and nodded. "Do you like it? I knew I had to give it to you the second I saw it."

"Of course I like it! It's so cute! Thanks, Gary!" she squealed and leaned in to snuggle into him since she had no arms to hug him with, ignoring the little yip of alarm that came from Lillipup.

"I wish I could hug you, but I can't, so I guess we'll have to make due with this," she muttered sheepishly.

Gary chuckled in reply and brought his arms up to wrap around her just as her mother snapped a picture of the two. They turned to her with confused looks on their faces as if they had forgotten that anyone else was standing around them.

"That was just adorable," she cooed in explanation and turned to her husband. "Wouldn't you agree Norman?"

The navy-haired man standing beside her nodded in response, and smiled at his daughter and her brunet friend.

"That's a real nice graduation present you got for her Gary. And a normal type, too—good choice," he said.

May smiled at her father's words. Of course he would approve of the pokémon being a normal type; he was a well-known normal type gym leader, after all.

"May!" Dawn suddenly cried from where she stood with Paul, a few feet away from where May stood, waving her diploma in her hand frantically to get the brunette's attention. Her gesture got her amused, odd looks from everyone else around her, as well and an eye roll from her boyfriend, but she didn't seem to notice. "Hurry up! We're going to toss our caps!"

"Go on," Gary urged, and May glanced up to find him smiling down at her. He pulled away to return Lillipup into its ball and took the roses from her and her diploma as well. "I'll hold these for you until you get back," he told her.

May smiled affectionately at him and, without another word, headed over to Dawn, who towed her away to the large crowd of people that was the graduated class of Lilycove University High. They maneuvered their way through the group to find Natalie and Marina, not knowing that they had passed Drew in the process until he called to May.

"Yes?" she pressed bitterly after Dawn left her with the instruction for her to hurry with the conversation.

She didn't understand why Dawn did that though; it wasn't like she planned on talking to Drew for any time exceeding a minute. She was sure that she would have to do enough of that when they set off on their journey together...

May grimaced at her own thoughts. The words _journey _and _together _just sounded horrible with one another in the same sentence that involved her and Drew. She almost shuddered in disgust.

"Look, about that wager, you don't have to go through with it," he sighed reluctantly. "You don't have to travel with me if you don't want to."

Drew could not believe that he was actually saying what he was saying. He wanted terribly for May to go through with the wager, but he couldn't bring himself to force her into doing something that she wasn't willing to do. He had tried to ignore the guilt that he had felt ever since he had beaten her in their battle that had taken place just two days ago, but he just couldn't.

Just like that, May softened up immediately. She had always been the one to give into something easily at the first sign of sadness, like the one that was currently displayed in Drew's emerald orbs. She knew from the second she detected the sadness that there would be no way that she could bring herself to tell him that she didn't want to travel with him, and that she was thankful that he had let her go. Her conscience wouldn't forgive her for it if she did.

"No, it's fine," she insisted kindly. "I mean, you won the match fair and square, so I'll travel with you."

"Are you sure?" he asked her doubtfully, yet he was still hopeful.

"Yeah. My conscience won't forgive me if I go against the wager."

A brilliant smile found its way onto Drew's lips as their classmates began to gather around them. He and May both chuckled as she returned his smile.

"If you don't mind being away from your friends, we should go find mine before everyone throws their caps," she suggested. "I suppose I need to start getting used to having you around me if we're going to be traveling together."

Mind? Why would he mind? If he had to choose between her and any of his friends (or anyone else for that matter), he would choose her in a heartbeat. He would give anything just to see those amazing sapphire blue eyes and that adorable smile of hers all day. The fact that he would be able to do so for a while (hopefully a couple months if not a few years) made him that much happier. He would do everything in his power to make sure that she constantly had that twinkle in her eyes and smile on her lips.

"No, I won't mind. Let's go find them," he said.

With that, the two of them set off in search of May's friends, leaving behind another one of her close friends, that they had neglected to notice, who had been standing within earshot of them during their conversation.

Brendan's amber eyes had darkened and clouded over with anger and sadness. Had he heard them wrong, or had they really said that they would be traveling together? All because May had lost a battle that was part of some stupid wager? He couldn't believe it. Didn't want to believe it.

What ever happened to him? Had she not once told him that if she ever decided she wanted someone to travel with that he would be the first one that she would ask? So, why did she even agree to the wager? Why would she give up the chance to get out of traveling with Drew if he had just offered her a chance to back out?

So many questions, there were so many questions flooding his mind. Many of them came and went without an answer, and it frustrated him to no end. But there was only one that stood out most from the unanswered questions: how had Drew managed to get May to agree to the wager?

Out of all of the questions, that was the one that Brendan had the most trouble finding an answer for. He was trying so hard to find an answer that he ended being a few seconds late in the cap tossing. When all of the caps had fallen back into the hands of their owners, his still floated in midair by its lonesome. By the time it fell back into his hands, most of the crowd had dismembered, leaving him alone to his thoughts.

He was just replacing the cap at the top of his head, when a pair of arms wrapped around his midsection. He turned around to find May beaming up at him.

"I finally found you!" she sang happily like a little child who had just been presented with candy would.

It was endearing to see her smile in such a manner, but as of the moment, Brendan could barely bring himself to smile back at her.

How could he with the knowledge that she would be traveling in the Kanto region with a guy that wasn't him? Was she even still planning on traveling in the Kanto region?

Add those to his list of unanswered questions.

"Yay, you found me," he cheered half-heartedly in a voice that lacked the enthusiasm that May had just displayed.

The petite girl's eyebrows furrowed at him, and her smile fell.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "You've been acting strange around me since prom."

Brendan shrugged and tried to put on the most convincing smile that he could.

"It's nothing," he insisted, while shoving his hands into the pockets of his academic dress to hide his clenched fists. "I just haven't been feeling well, that's all."

May showed that she had taken his words literally by standing up on her tippy toes to press the back of her hand against his forehead. He flinched away from her touch before gently moving her hand away from his forehead.

"I'm fine, May," he told her when he noticed that he had offended her by doing so, and smiled to back up his words.

Despite his anger he felt towards her, he still felt as if he needed to reassure her. He was glad to see the smile returning to her lips to replace the pout that was there just a moment ago, and even allowed her to take his hand out of his pocket. He didn't flinch away from her when she took his hand in hers.

"Let's go find our parents," she suggested. "Mine said they wanted to congratulate you."

Not waiting for a response, she began to pull him off in the direction where her parents and his were standing together, engaged in conversation. He allowed himself to be towed without protest, secretly savoring the feel of his hand in hers while it still lasted.

He didn't know if he would ever feel it again.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Sorry if this chapter was short; I suffered from a cold this week so I lacked inspiration when writing this chapter. Please still review though! The next chapter will be up next Saturday as usual. Thanks for reading! :)


	11. Raindrops In a Storm

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>Guess what tomorrow is? CHRISTMAS DAY! :D Which means today is Christmas Eve which means I get to wish you all a Happy Christmas Eve and an early Merry Christmas! I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday filled with happiness and cheer and all things good. For those of you enjoying a winter break like I am, I hope you all have a safe and fun break. :) I'm going to hibernate like there's no tomorrow. xD<p>

Also, I'd like to give a double thank you this time for all of the reviews that you guys have left because, thanks to them, my cold's been getting better! I have no idea how, but it may because of the smiles that they put on my face. Happiness is one of the best medicines after all. ;D Anyways, I'll let you read this chapter now. This will be the last one before the one where Drew and May _finally_ set off on their journey! Thank gosh because I've been itching to write about their travels for the longest time. Hope you all enjoy :) I love you all, happy holidays and happy reading! Please review!

_**Responses to**__**Reviews...**__  
><em>_**xxTheBloodyRosexx: **__I knoooow. D: I'm always so mean to him without wanting to, or meaning to. Sorry Brendan! But thank you! My cold's getting better now. :)  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ I'm sorry Samia. :( I don't understand why Brendan always ends up being the victim...O.o And I don't think I've_ directly_ mentioned it (or maybe I did and I just forget :P) but May's just not so thrilled about the idea because she didn't willing say that she wanted to travel with him; it wasn't her decision, she was just forced to because she lost the battle to him. But now, she's fine with it since she just turned down the chance to get rid of him. Whether or not she'll regret it in the future, you'll have to read and see. :)  
><em>_**ponyiowa:**__ Thanks! :D  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Not exactly...some girls are lucky enough to have a couple of guys liking them at the same time? May just happens to be one of them? O.o  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ I'm sorry! I'll find him someone, I promise! xD  
><em>_**Blademon:**__ Oh...well, don't I feel sheepish. :3 And lol at what you said about Brendan! Haha, the poor guy. xD Thanks for reading!  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Okay, since you reviewed once for each chapter within one week (one day actually, thanks! :D) then I'm going to try my best to respond to each one in this response the best I can. Here we go!  
>I think every school has a teacher like Mr. Zion; I wonder why it's so inevitable that school's hire teachers like that. Don't they know that they scare their students? And hah! I would've went a little more crazy...something along the lines of mad. xD<br>Thanks! I love describing chapters! It's probably from my love of the games as a little girl; I was so obsessed. As a matter of fact, I still go through some random obsession phases with my Emerald version. :P  
>Omigod, ramen noodles are probably one of the best things in existence! The spicy kind has always been my favorite! I need a guy like Drew to come make me some while I'm still recovering from my cold hah. ;D<br>I'll have to go read your story to know what you mean hah. Poor Brendan ;D  
>I'm sorry for making you cry! Sorry! Dx And yeah, Skyler is one of those girls that I don't really like. The conceited, drama queen-type. Feel free to feed her that cake hehehehe xD<br>I never was a big fan of Hoennshipping to be honest. :\ I was starting to feel something for it though as I was writing this fanfiction, but Contestshipping and Brunetteshipping will always be my favorite shippings that involve May (Contestshipping being the first of course :) And oh my...your poetry is...amazing. That was really deep. I don't think I could ever write anything like that, care to teach me? O.o  
>Roses are amazing. I felt bad for making Gary and Brendan beat Drew to giving May a rose since they are his signature and all. :P Hah, oh well. And you guys will be hearing from every single character that you listed (including Gary and Brendan since they're part of the plot, sorry!).<br>Now that I've responded to every single one of your reviews, I'd like to thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my fanfiction and to leave a review for every single chapter! Thanks so much! I hope you get better soon! Glad to have you as a regular for this fanfiction. Thanks again! :D  
><em>**_The Last Poison Apple: _**_Hehe okay. *gives award to May's conscience* :)_**_  
><em>****Pokegirl4896:**_ Thank you so much!  
><em>**misspokemonpro:**_ Thanks, I feel better now. :)  
><em>**Shadow Lillies:**_ Hehe, here's the next chapter! :D  
><em>**LuvAllPokemon:**_ Oh...it's okay! ;D Regardless of how much I love Brunetteshipping, I still love Contestshipping more and this _still_ is a Contestshipping fanfic, sorry. Maybe I'll write a Brunetteshipping one in the future after I finish this one. :3_**_  
><em>**_**Claudette14:**__THANKS, IT'S OKAY! JUST SO LONG AS YOU END UP READING AND REVIEWING! YOU GO AHEAD AND READ THAT CHAPTER (you probably already have though)! :D  
>Isn't it? I love Lillipup! So cute :D And yeah, I'm giving her all the luck haha. Yeah, the time will come eventually. I'll try not to keep everyone waiting so long for that moment. You have a great holiday, too! :D<em>**_  
>leotinees: <em>**_As much as it would frustrate Drew, I can't make that happen. If Brendan's with them, then how could there be any Contestshipping fluff?...Woops, did I say fluff? How'd that get there? xD  
><em>_**Chi-chiwawa:**__ I can't answer your first question because it _will_ spoil the plot. I also can't answer the second one either because, unfortunately for me, you're too smart and guessed the main antagonist of this fanfic. :P Thanks for reviewing anyways! And don't thank me for responding, it's all I can do to repay all of my readers who review. :)  
><em>_**light-chiix3:**__ Aw, thank you so much! I'm glad that my fanfiction means so much to you because your support and reviews mean very much to me! I also want to thank you even more because your review was my 150th review! I was really hoping on getting one final review to reach 150 before I updated tonight and you helped me reach it! Thanks a bunch! And I'm sure you did amazing on your finals; I hope you'll pass with flying colors. :D_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 11<strong>

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><p>"May, would you hurry up?" Dawn shouted up to the brunette's room window from her seat outside in Brendan's car. In an act of impatience, she even reached over the guy to slam her fist onto the steering wheel, honking the car's horn.<p>

The sudden noise made Brendan and the people who occupied the other car behind them (Marina, Jimmy, Natalie, and Cam) to jump in shock. Paul, who was sitting next to her in the back, merely grunted in aggravation, while his arms still remained crossed over his chest. His stern expression visibly grew even sterner, though, at the unwanted noise. The commotion that the blunette conjured was probably enough to wake up the whole neighborhood.

"I'm coming!" came a growl from outside of the car.

May groggily trudged down her driveway with her beach tote in tow to the black car parked in front of her house. After pulling open the door of the passenger seat, she slid into the seat and slammed it angrily beside her. She then proceeded to rest her head against the window, a scowl evident on her face.

"Whoa! Watch the car! Take your anger out on _Dawn_, not my wife," Brendan cried in protest.

May ignored his last comment. She did, however, oblige to the part about taking her anger out on Dawn.

"You know, you could've been a little more patient considering the fact that you failed to inform me until_ this morning_ that we were headed to the beach _two hours _earlier than originally planned," she told the girl bitterly.

"Forgive me for wanting to spend as much time together as possible, considering the fact that we're all going our separate ways tomorrow since today's the last day of spring!" Dawn shot back with a pout.

Both May and Paul rolled their eyes in response, but they both empathized with her. They weren't exactly thrilled to separate from their friends either.

Meanwhile, Brendan kept his face impassive, though his hands clenched the steering wheel tighter. Did he really need a constant reminder that he would be separating with May in less than twenty-four hours and that she would be with another guy on her journey?

The answer was no.

He stepped on the pedal, throwing his car into motion without another word.

Since May didn't live quite so far from the beach, the ride only took about an hour and forty-five minutes, but the already sleepy girl managed to fall asleep after the first thirty minutes.

When Brendan's car suddenly grew quiet, everyone glanced at May with amused smiles. She just looked so adorable as she slept with her legs pulled up to her chest and held in place with her arms, her head resting against the car window. They almost didn't have the heart to wake her when they got to the beach parking lot, but they knew that if they just left her in the car, there would be hell to pay later.

"I got this," Brendan mouthed hurriedly when he saw Dawn creeping over to the passenger door.

If she opened it, there would be no guarantee that May would _not_ topple out of the car. He wasn't about to let that happen, so he gestured for the blunette to go on with Paul. Once they were gone, he gently stirred May out of her slumber.

"May," he whispered. "May, wake up. We're here."

A sleepy groan came from behind the girl's closed mouth. She tiredly rubbed her eyes before squinting into the light of the blaring sun. Another groan came from her.

"We're here already?" she asked. "I was enjoying my nap."

"You could always nap on the beach, you know. The sound of the ocean could probably knock you out in seconds."

May hummed thoughtfully, while snuggling further into the leather seat. "But I need to walk in order to get there," she murmured. "I won't be sleepy anymore by the time I'm through walking."

"Would you like me to carry you, then?" Brendan offered with a chuckle.

He watched with amusement as May eyed him jokingly as she "considered" his offer. After a second, she nodded with a childish pout and extended her arms to him. He chuckled again softly as he reached for her bag and slung it over his shoulder along with his own before he leaned down to slip one arm under her legs and one behind her back. He hoisted her up with seemingly no effort on his part and started off in the direction of their group's spot on the beach.

"There you guys are!" Marina exclaimed, when she saw Brendan and May approaching. Her eyebrow raised in question when she saw the girl in Brendan's arms.

"Why are you carrying her, Brendan?" she asked.

"She was afraid she wouldn't be tired anymore by the time she walked down here, so I offered to carry her," he explained, rolling his eyes behind his black sunglasses.

He set May down on one of the beach chaises that Cam, Jimmy, and Paul set up.

Dawn gave a disbelieving laugh and turned to May, who was busy stripping herself of her clothes before she flipped onto her front to take a nap.

"We're at the beach, May. Do you really plan on sleeping the entire time?" she asked the brunette.

"No, just until I've caught up on all of my sleep," May answered. "You guys have fun without me."

With that, she shut her eyes and buried her face into her arms.

"But you haven't even put on any sunscreen yet," Natalie reminded her. "You're going to get burnt."

"Oh, I don't burn, Nat. I'll be fine," May reassured with a nonchalant wave of her hand.

Natalie simply shrugged in a "don't-say-I-didn't-warn-you" type of way before turning to apply sunscreen to her own body.

Sure enough, May woke up thirty minutes later to a burn on the back of her neck when Natalie came up to her after a swim in the ocean.

"I told you so," she said smugly after pressing a finger to the red spot on the back of the girl's neck.

May hissed in pain as her hand flew to cover her neck, while the other released her hair from its bun. Hopefully, the strands would provide a barrier between the burn and any cruel people who would take pleasure in causing her pain, namely her friends.

Thankfully, she had done so just in time. Dawn had been creeping up on her with her fingers out and ready to jab away at the sunburn. Such evil friends she had, May decided.

A few minutes later after May finally went ahead and put a good layer of sunscreen on her body, she joined her friends in the ocean, where they were frolicking about in the crystal clear water. The second she joined them, Brendan and Dawn saw to it that she was immediately dunked, despite her declaration that she wanted to keep her hair dry. Once she resurfaced, she kicked some water in both of their faces and swam away giggling after Brendan gave chase.

For a while, they continued to play together in the water, and even got a chance to play with some of the wailmer that swam up to them. Paul attempted to catch one, but after some scolding from Dawn, he gave up and went back to their spot on the beach to take a nap. He was later joined by the girls, who all insisted that they wanted to tan, so the other boys went off to the boardwalk to get them all some food.

"May," Brendan murmured in her ear after he returned with Cam and Jimmy.

The brunette girl had fallen asleep again as she tanned on her front alongside Paul, who had fallen asleep sitting on a chaise under one of the beach umbrellas. A pair of black shades were over his eyes and his arms were crossed over his chest; he looked very much at ease.

May didn't so much as open her eyes, only burying her face even further into her arms.

Brendan rolled his eyes and discreetly assessed her body. Aside from the red string bikini that the girl was clad in, the rest of her body was left unclothed, exposing glowing skin that was steadily changing into a nice bronze color. He gulped away all of his perverted thoughts and smirked to himself when an idea struck him. He reached down to her hips and counted to three in his head before he gently jabbed her sides with his index fingers.

Sure enough, May jolted out of her sleep with a start.

"Brendan! What's your problem?" she cried, pushing herself up on her knees so that she could reach over to whack him. "I was in the middle of my nap!"

Brendan's hands shot up in the air in a form of surrender, but his body vibrated with his chuckles.

"Sorry, I just wanted you to get some food," he said. "You know how grumpy you get when you miss a chance to eat."

May's eyes widened, all irritation instantly leaving her.

"There's food?" she gasped, and turned in the direction of an inviting aroma. She gasped again and clapped her hands over her mouth dramatically. "There's food! Let me at it!"

"Paul, there's food. Wake up and eat," Dawn said to her boyfriend, while nudging him to wake him up.

When the purple-haired guy didn't move, she nudged him harder. When that didn't work, she just gave up and went to go eat.

Meanwhile, Jimmy had watched the whole attempt. He was suddenly struck with inspiration when Dawn passed him, and tempted with the amount of fun that the inspiration had presented.

He got up from his spot from one of the blankets and made his way over to Paul, bending down so that he was level with his friend's ear. Adopting Dawn's voice, he cooed Paul's name into his ear. Then, he clamped Paul's shoulder with one hand and began to shake him hard enough so that the headphones that Paul had wedged into his ears would pop out.

Paul woke with a start, a grunt escaping from his lips. When he saw Jimmy howling with laughter beside him on the ground, he growled and yanked his shades off. Angrily, he chucked them at Jimmy's head, where they bounced off of his hair and landed in the sand.

"Why would you go through all of that _just_ to wake me up, you jerk?" Paul growled at him.

Jimmy only laughed in response and sat up to throw his arms around his friend.

"Oh Paul, you know I love you," he joked.

Said boy snarled at him. "Get off of me, you fa—"

"Paul!" Dawn snapped before her boyfriend could say the foul word.

Everyone busted out laughing when Paul went on to mutter the word under his breath.

After the exchange, the group hurriedly went to eat their lunches so that they could pack up and head to the boardwalk. Once they got everything that they had brought onto the beach packed up and replaced in the two cars that they had come in, they made their way over to the big boardwalk. There, they enjoyed more food and went on some of the rides that were offered, such as the ferris wheel.

After the sun set, they all made their way back to the cars, where they went through the dreaded goodbye. Tears were shed (by the girls), hugs were shared (excluding Paul, who refused to hug anyone and insisted on keeping a nonchalant face), and promises were made to keep in touch with one another and to meet up as much as possible during their time apart.

The moment was painful, but it was inevitable. No one could believe that that day was the last that they would be spending together for a while. Brendan and Marina even made sure to drive as slowly as possible in order to prolong their time together, but they eventually had to drive in separate directions. Saying goodbye was probably one of the hardest things that they ever had to do.

As Brendan pulled up to Dawn's driveway, the blunette sniffled into her soaked tissue, one of many tissues that she had gone throughout the car ride. Paul was already gone from the car after being dropped off a few minutes ago, so she was without her boyfriend for support. She fought with herself to keep from crying any further as she exited the car.

"I can't believe that this is the last time that we'll ever be together again," she expressed after stifling a hiccup. "Who knows when we'll see each other again."

May immediately got out of the car to pull Dawn in for a long hug. Without a word, she clutched onto her friend as tears fell from her eyes and Dawn's. They held onto one another for what seemed to be eternity; it was much too difficult for them to let go of one another.

But they had to eventually, and when they did, their eyes welled up with tears all over again. Their goodbyes to one another were barely audible before Dawn reluctantly went to her house and May returned to the car. It nearly broke Brendan's heart just by watching them.

The ride back to May's house was a silent one aside from the few comforting words that Brendan had offered to her. However, he wasn't sure whether they were more for her or for himself. It took until they were just one block away from his house for him to remember that, in just a couple of hours, she would be on a ferry headed for the Kanto region...with Drew. That meant that the time left for him to talk May out of traveling with Drew was limited. His minutes were numbered; he had to act fast.

He pulled the car to a stop at the last corner before the block of May's house.

"What's up?" May asked him, her voice kept quiet to prevent any cracking from all of the crying that she had done.

He turned to her with a serious face though the look in his amber eyes was strained.

"Don't travel with him May," he told her.

Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "With who?"

"With Drew."

May sighed and bit her lip. "I already told you after graduation—I can't. I lost the battle. He beat me fair and square," she told him.

But Brendan only shook his head as his eyebrows furrowed angrily. The seed to his frustration had been watered. His hands formed crushing binds around the steering wheel as he glared at his feet in the dim lighting of the car.

"You don't have to go through with it, May. He offered you a chance to back out," he forced through his gritted teeth.

"And I already told him that I wasn't going to," she insisted. "I can't go back on my word."

Brendan couldn't hold back from unleashing his anger then.

"Maybe you think you can't, but you sure as hell can in my opinion," he snapped, while turning his head to glare at her. "You're not obligated to travel with him, May! The wager was stupid, and the fact that you're actually going through with it is even more ridiculous."

May was surprised. Brendan had never spoken to her in such a tone or manner before. Where had his sudden attitude come from?

"Can you please _try_ to be reasonable?" she tentatively asked of him. "You _know _me, Brendan. You know how dedicated I am to making sure that I keep each and every single one of my promises. You know that I couldn't live with myself knowing that I broke a promise."

"So you're saying that you could live with yourself knowing that you're practically killing me by going through with this?" he shot back harshly.

May was taken aback. "Wh-what?" she stuttered in shock. "I'm killing you? How?"

Brendan turned around his seat so that he was facing her completely. All of the anger had left his face, leaving disbelief in its wake. He laughed sarcastically as he shook his head.

"Did you honestly not know all these years May?" he asked.

May was afraid to ask, but she went ahead and did anyways. "Know what?"

She watched as he took a deep breath, looked away, and then back with a strained expression on his face.

"Know that I'm crazy in love with you," he began to admit, and her breath caught in her throat. "I've had these feelings since we were kids, even when we were apart for all of those years, and they've only gotten stronger since. I've tried fighting them—I'm still fighting them—ever since you told me about your feelings for Gary, but they wouldn't go away. Even when I knew that I wouldn't have a chance with you, they refused to go away, and they torture me every day because I have to get through every day knowing that you don't feel the same way for me."

He paused to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat before continuing.

"I hate myself for not being good enough," he went on. "For not being good enough to win your heart. All I ask now is that you not travel with him, but of course, I'm not even good enough to do that. I just hate myself for not being good enough..."

His voice trailed off then, tears forming in his eyes as he rested his forehead on the steering wheel.

May felt to withhold her own tears; she couldn't believe what she was hearing. _He_ hated himself for not being good enough for _her_? _He _hated himself for things that were out of his control when _she_ was just sitting there, watching helplessly as he suffered? _She_ was the one breaking his heart and _he_ hated himself for it?

If he hated himself for all of that, then May hated herself even more.

No words came to her until he eventually looked up from the steering wheel and turned to her again. He gave her a strained smile.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything," he apologized.

May finally found her voice again. _He_ was apologizing to _her_ now? The situation was just too ridiculous.

"_You're_ sorry?" she breathed in disbelief, tears spilling from her eyes. "_You're_ sorry, when I'm the one causing all the damage? If either of us should be sorry, it should be _me_, I—" A sob interrupted her. "I'm sorry, Brendan. I'm so sorry."

Brendan felt a stab of guilt in his chest. He had made her cry. She was sitting in front of him with tears spilling down her face because of him. He had made her_ cry_.

Why did he have to go and open his mouth? He should have just kept his mouth shut; he had been doing a good job of it for four years. Why couldn't he have just kept going?

"May, please don't cry," he begged, his own voice cracking.

His hands automatically reached over to cup her face, his thumbs wiping away the cascading drops of saltwater from her cheeks. When she met his eyes a few seconds later, he stared into them for a few moments—memorizing them—before he leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

His lips lingered on her forehead for what seemed like forever as she sobbed even harder. He just didn't want to pull away, just couldn't pull away. But he had to. He tried to give her a smile when he did after her sobs began to die down.

"We're still friends, right?" he whispered.

May nodded and sniffled. "The best there is," she whispered back, and pulled away from his hands without taking her eyes off of his.

But despite her words, they both knew that a strain had been put on their friendship and that they could never be the same again. How could they be after something like that?

With another sniffle, May turned away from Brendan to hide the oncoming tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes again.

"I can walk home from here," she whispered to him.

Then, without waiting for an answer, turned to open the car door and stepped out into the chilly night air.

"Goodbye Brendan," she said to him before closing the door.

Brendan didn't even bother to stop her as she walked away. With her gone, he could finally let his own tears fall.

May broke into a run toward her house when she knew that she was out of his sight. All she wanted to do at that moment was dash into the shower, crank the faucet to the highest temperature setting, and let the hot water pour down onto her like rain. She hoped that it would burn and wash away all of her troubles while she let out every single tear until she was incapable of shedding anymore. She just wanted to forget the past couple hours, as if they never happened.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she ran straight into the person standing in front of her front door, who had turned around when he heard her approaching footsteps. She pulled back without so much as a yelp, her wet eyes blank and empty.

"Hey, perfect, now I don't have to ring the doorbell," Drew said with a smile, a ferry ticket in his hand. "I was just coming to give you your ferry ticket and..."

Drew suddenly trailed off when he noticed May's tear-soaked cheeks and puffy eyes. His eyes widened in horror as he took in what he was seeing in the dim lighting of the porch lamp.

"Are you crying?" he inquired disbelievingly. "What happened?"

"I-I don't want to talk about it," she croaked so quietly that he didn't hear what she had said.

Drew tentatively asked her to repeat her words.

"I said I don't want to talk about it," she said clearly and louder, frustrated at him for making her repeat herself.

Then, her eyes welled up with tears again and her aggravation dissipated in an instant.

"I don't want to talk about it," she repeated one more time. "I-I just need you Drew," she told him honestly.

The words shocked him into temporary silence. He didn't have time to respond before she threw herself forward and, without warning, launched herself into his arms. There, she allowed her tears to spill over like blood from a wound, just like the one that had just been sliced through her heart.

They fell like raindrops in a storm. A storm just like the one she felt she was trapped in. A storm of sorrow, pain, and unwanted goodbyes.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I'll be honest, my eyes got pretty teary as I was writing this chapter and I _may_ have let one or two tears fall. Poor Brendan...and poor May. :'( I was seriously debating on getting this chapter up _after_ Christmas because this is not something happy and it kind of defeats the purpose of me wishing you all a _Merry_ Christmas. But then I felt bad about going back on my promise to update every Saturday. It would've been different if I had just been to busy to write a chapter to put up, but that wasn't the case. Forgive me if this brought any tears to your eyes, I still hope that you all have a wonderful and happy Christmas! The next chapter will up next Saturday. Can you believe that we're only a week away from 2012? Time went by really quick this year. :O Anyways, I wish you all a Merry Christmas! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas Eve and I hope your day tomorrow will be filled with much happiness and cheer! Thanks for reading, please review! :)

Oh! I'd also like to make an announcement. I will publishing the first chapter of my next Contestshipping fanfiction some time next week! I'm aiming for Wednesday, but the date's not set in stone. I will not be revealing anything about this fanfiction though I will say that it's going to be rated M and the genre is going to be romance/thriller with a little bit of horror...or maybe a lot, I'll see how it goes hah. :P I've never tried writing a horror story before so this will be a oneshot. Please be sure to check it out when I get it up and please give it as much as support as you have been giving this fanfiction! Thanks in advance! I'll try to make it as good as possible for you lovely people. Hope I don't disappoint! :D


	12. Departure

****Update April 2013: ****This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>I'm pretty proud of myself for getting this chapter up early. I usually update around midnight, but since tonight's New Year's Eve, I figured I'd get it up sooner rather than later. Anyways, before I head out to meet up with some friends, I'd like to wish you all a very Happy New Year! May the new year treat you all very well and bring you all things good! Thanks for supporting me! I love you all, happy reading and please review! And I also hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas! :D<p>

_**Responses to Reviews...  
><strong>__**EeveeTransformed:** HAH! I literally laughed out loud at the part about your sisters! I envy you, I wish I had sisters. :\ It'd be terrible if all three of my best guy friends liked me! I wouldn't even know what to do! Poor May...and Brendan...I'm so mean. :p  
><em>_**ColbyDanielle:** Thanks for the tree and for telling me that you're never disappointed in this story! Both meant very much, thanks a bunch! :D  
><em>_**WinxyBtrXOXO:** Thanks for all of the reviewing that you did for me! Glad to have you as another one of my readers. I'm also very happy that you love my story! :D  
><em>_**chocolatehell:** Thanks Samia! I hope you had a merry Christmas, too, even if it was wet and rainy where you are. It didn't snow where I am either! :( And yeah, it is extreme. Hehe :P But thanks for the compliments!  
><em>_**misspokemonpro:** Why thank you, you're very kind. :3  
><em>_**Obviously Citra:** Thank you!  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:** Haha yes, in a way, it is! xD Thanks very much!  
><em>_**Chi-chiwawa:** Well, you _are_ smart! :D And of course I'll answer your reviews! Getting to respond to the reviews is actually my favorite part of updating! (after the writing part of course ;D)  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:** It was :( I really did cry as I was writing it and as I was going back and editing it. I felt so terrible, but, unfortunately, it's part of my story plot. But thank you for saying that about my story! :)  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:** Thanks! ;)  
><em>_**xxTheBloodyRosexx:** I cry for him, too. But Drew does have to do things silly! He's been having to fight for May's affections ever since he saw her! He'll be doing a lot more of that during their journey, I can assure you. He will receive your anger. :D And why would I receive it negatively? Take back that apology! You did nothing wrong; no negative feelings caused. :)  
><em>_**iCanSeeTheLight:** I will definitely be incorporating some of their arguments! I've always found them funny, too hah! :D  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped: **Thank you, I'm glad you like it! :D  
><em>_**Claudette14: **__Thank you very much for reading, I hope you had a happy holiday as well. :D  
><em>_**Fprmr1: **LOL! That sounds exactly like me and poetry. I remember I had to write a book full of poems for an English assignment and I was totally stressed out! But once I wrote the first one, the rest just came to me like I've been writing poetry for my entire life. Strange. O.o  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies: **Aw, sorry to hear that! I've been doing the same thing, except I've been watching a lot of sad movies instead of reading sad stories. I think I've cried out all my tears for a month. :p_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 12<strong>

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><p>The wait at the Lilycove City Harbor to board the S. S. Tidal had been a short one, much to the relief of Drew and May. Both were more than eager to get on board so that they could get to their cabins.<p>

The two of them had gotten up at around three in the morning to catch the ferry, which meant they were both running on only two hours of sleep. The only thing they wanted to do was to go back to sleep in their cabin beds, and they did just that after they arrived at their own separate cabins.

May found herself struggling when she attempted to fall asleep in her cabin bed. Not only was the rigid feel of the mattress too foreign, but she also had too much on her mind. The memories of the night before were still fresh in her brain, haunting and torturing her with the constant reminder that she had hurt Brendan. That she was the one responsible for his misery. That she had single-handedly broken her best friend's heart.

She hadn't gotten very much sleep the night before, either. After Drew had managed to soothe her enough for her to get into her house, she had gone straight to the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water had felt so good—the perfect relief to her pain—that she wound up staying in the shower longer than usual in the hopes that the water would wash away all of her troubles the longer she stayed in.

By the time she had gotten to her room, it was already almost one in the morning. From there, she had struggled to fall asleep, even after she had taken the shower, proving that the soothing effect had only been temporary. So when she had to wake up at three to catch the ferry with Drew, she had only gotten about an hour of sleep.

Despite all of the fatigue that had been engulfing her all morning, she still found herself tossing and turning in her cabin bed uncomfortably. She tried her hardest to drift into a slumber, but did so to no avail. That was just the problem with sleep: the harder one tries for it, the less likely one was going to get any. It took May a good hour of fidgeting until she finally succeeded in falling asleep, only to wake up with a start a mere hour later.

Her memories from the night before were still torturing her, even in her subconscious mind, coming to haunt her in her sleep in the form of nightmares. When she had woken, she found her pillow soaked from the tears that she hadn't even realized were streaming down her face. She was thankful for the box of tissues that was being offered on the bedside table beside her.

She reached for one to dab her wet cheeks with, while sniffling to stop the oncoming flow of snot. Her long lashes were lathered with wet tears, so she blinked them off and stared up at the ceiling. Another hour passed before her body finally allowed sleep to take over once again.

Three hours later, after the sun had risen above the horizon and its light had seeped into the ferry, May found her way out onto the deck. The scenery outside of her cabin seemed to mock her glum mood: the clouds parted to reveal a lovely blue sky, the wingull and pelipper sung a pleasant melody, and the ocean sparkled beautifully.

May sighed sadly to herself when she approached the white railing of the ferry. She crossed her arms over the top bar and propped herself up on her elbows, so that she could gaze at the horizon. The rushing breeze combed through her hair, tickling her chin with it, and raised goosebumps along her exposed skin. She found herself wishing that she hadn't left her jacket back in her cabin.

"I knew I'd find you out here," a familiar voice piped.

May didn't even have to turn around to know that Drew was the one who was approaching her. He was beside her on the railing in seconds, leaning his back against the white bars so that he could look at her without the wind blowing in his eyes. He appraised her jacket-less outfit.

"Where's your jacket? I'll bet you're cold," he concluded, watching as she rubbed her upper arms with all of the motions being in her wrists to avoid changing her position.

She was revealing quite a bit of skin being dressed in only a cami and a pair of shorts, that hit just above mid-thigh. Her slim legs seemed to go on endlessly until his eyes fell on the pair of short hiking boots. The outfit was so simple, but she still looked so incredibly sexy to him that he had to resist the urge to lick his lips.

The wind blowing through her hair certainly didn't help much with his attempt; it just made her look more alluring. To keep himself distracted, he unzipped the black track jacket he was wearing and took it off.

"Here—put this on," he instructed while handing the jacket to her.

May turned to look at his jacket, catching the smell of cologne that wafted from it. After taking it from him, she lifted it to her nose to take a whiff.

Drew furrowed his eyebrows.

"Does it smell bad?" he asked.

"No, it smells good," she murmured unabashedly before she slid her arms through the sleeves and adjusted the oversized jacket on her shoulders.

He couldn't refrain from pulling her hair out of the collar as he watched her put it on. His fingers lingered on her neck afterwards for a second longer until he pulled his hand away.

"Is what happened last night still upsetting you?" he asked cautiously after a minute, afraid that he might trigger another crying session from her.

He hadn't planned on bringing it up again, but seeing her so upset last night had gotten him worried. It pained him to see her nod.

"I'll assume that you're still not in the mood to talk about it then, huh?" he guessed.

May nodded again.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Not until some more time passes at least."

Drew hummed in understanding.

"Whenever you need to talk to someone about it, then. I'll be here," he promised.

A small smile tugged up the corner of May's lips, but she didn't look at him.

"Thanks Drew," she said softly, her eyes not leaving the horizon and her smile falling as quickly as it had appeared.

Seeing this, Drew felt an overwhelming urge to just wrap his arms around her. Figuring that she needed the comfort and company, but not entirely sure if he was the comfort and company that she wanted, he tentatively wrapped his arms around her midsection, drawing her into him. He felt her tense under his touch.

"Whatever it is, it'll be fine," he assured, while waiting anxiously for her response.

To his relief and surprise, May leaned into his chest instead of pushing him away.

"Thanks, I needed this," she murmured.

Drew smiled softly in response.

"No problem May," he told her, and continued to hold her as they stared out into the horizon together.

It was a while until May finally pulled away from Drew. Her stomach had begun to grumble, so she needed to find food to satisfy her grumbling stomach, much to his dismay. But nonetheless, he walked with her back into the ferry to find food, content just so long as he was in her company.

The rest of the ferry ride took about another five hours until the ferry arrived in the Kanto region. In those five hours, Drew and May hadn't done much aside from having brunch at the ferry's restaurant and taking another nap right after to get in as much sleep as possible before their arrival. They were woken up by the sailors who worked on the S. S. Tidal when it docked at the Vermillion City Harbor. When they stepped off of the ferry, they saw that it was already late afternoon.

Nostalgia overtook May in a wave upon setting foot onto the harbor of Vermillion City. Being in such a foreign city naturally brought back the memories of her first journey away from home with Ash, Brock, and Max. She still remembered the fascination and uncertainty that she had felt whenever she had encountered anything new at that time and how they'd always been there with her through it all.

Despite having already been on another journey without them by her side, it was difficult as always to adapt without them. Perhaps it was just her need for a close friend, or at least someone who she trusted enough so that she could confide in them for anything. She hated herself for being so dependent, but perhaps her recent conflict with Brendan had something to do with it. She knew that she was going to need someone to talk to about the situation, but she had no one.

Though she _did_ have Drew, she still found herself hesitant in telling him everything. But somehow, she knew that she would soon give in to the need to vent and to seek guidance from someone, so she would end up doing it eventually. She just didn't know how soon.

"Let's go sight-seeing before we check in at the Pokémon Center," Drew suggested suddenly.

Having taken May's glum mood into account, he concluded that what the girl needed most at the moment was to do something fun rather than something responsible. She needed something to take her mind off of her recent conflict with Brendan. Responsibility could wait.

"But shouldn't we check in first instead?" May insisted, not seeing the motive behind his suggestion. "The center may run out of rooms."

"Don't worry—it won't," Drew assured. "We can check in tonight."

"Are you sure?"

He answered her question first by giving a nonchalant wave of his hand.

"Definitely, so don't worry about it. There will probably be a ton of rooms left for us to check in to," he insisted. "Let's just go catch a movie or something, and then we can go out for dinner. We'll make it back before nightfall, and _then_ we can check in."

May sighed and shrugged as she walked ahead of him.

"Let's get going, then," she called over her shoulder.

Drew smiled and followed her.

Everything went according to Drew's schedule for the rest of their first day in Vermillion. The first thing they had done was find a local movie theater (with the help of some directions from some local citizens) where they had managed to purchase tickets for a romantic comedy just before the movie started.

The movie basically revolved around the lives of a boy and girl, who had met one another at very young ages when the boy moved into the house across the street from the girl's. At the first sight, the girl had instantly developed a little crush on him that eventually turned into a sort of obsession for the next eight years of their lives. She spent them pining after him, while he spent them thinking of ways to avoid her.

Things stayed the same year after year until they entered the tenth grade, where things slowly began to change. In that one year, their situation flipped entirely. The girl lost her feelings for the guy after many cowardly decisions on his part. In respect, the guy developed feelings for her just as she finally got over him. He began to do many silly things to win her heart back, even going so far as to attempt to kiss her in front of their whole class.

It wasn't all that funny a comedy, but it did manage to coax a laugh or two out of May, and that was all Drew cared about. He had specifically chosen a comedy for the sole purpose of seeing her smile again, but when he heard her laugh instead, he was thrilled. The melodious laughter was practically music to his ears.

After the movie, they went out to eat at a quaint little restaurant that was made famous by their amazingly good ramen noodles. Drew had suggested the place with the hopes of cheering May up some more since she had returned back to her distant mood after leaving the theater. Though he wasn't particularly fond of ramen noodles, he knew that they were May's favorite food, so he decided to sacrifice a satisfying meal in exchange for her happiness. It helped to ease down the noodles somewhat when he saw a smile spread across her lips when she took a whiff. She had begun to return back her to her regular cheery self after a couple minutes into the meal.

Once it was over, they quickly made their way back to the Pokémon Center to check into their rooms. They had been so engrossed in the conversation during dinner that they wound up leaving the restaurant half an hour later than they had originally planned.

It was almost ten thirty by the time Drew got to the front desk of the building, where a Nurse Joy was sitting in front of a computer to keep record of all who entered and left the Pokémon Center. He turned to May with a worried expression after telling Nurse Joy that they wanted to check out two separate rooms and receiving her answer.

"Uh, I have some news," he told the brunette girl behind him.

May had been absentmindedly toying with the two PokéBalls that dangled from the gold charm bracelet that Marina had given her. One of them contained Blaziken, while the other contained Lillipup, who she could not leave behind despite her original plan. Her hand closed around both of the PokéBalls when she saw Drew's expression.

"Good or bad?" she asked warily.

"Bad."

"Oh, that's great," she said with a grimace. "What's the news?"

"...there's only one room left."

A moment of silence fell upon them as May took some time to take in his words. Or rather, she was waiting for him to start chuckling and telling her that it was a joke. It wasn't until the silence started to become uncomfortable that the honesty of the statement began to set in.

When it did, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You planned this," she accused him.

"No, I didn't!" he exclaimed, his eyes widening to back up his innocence.

"Then why did you suggest checking in at the_ last minute_?"

"That was pure coincidence!"

May snorted in disbelief to show that she wasn't convinced. It really was a mere coincidence that the Pokémon Center was out of rooms; Drew hadn't planned it, but she didn't choose to believe it at all.

"Just get the darn key so that we can head up to the room," she growled and stormed over to the elevator without waiting for him.

Drew sighed before getting the room key and going after her.

Another uncomfortable silence filled the atmosphere around them in the elevator as they rode it to the second floor. May had spent the entire ride avoiding Drew's apologetic stare, while he tried desperately to meet her eyes. Once they got to the second floor, where their room was located, and he opened the door, they both got to take a look at the room. It was a fairly big room that was furnished with a television, a closet, a small round dining table, four chairs, a small couch...and one bed.

"You're sleeping on the couch," May told Drew immediately after taking in the furniture.

He turned to her with a disbelieving look, but she was already walking to the closet to put away her bag and denim jacket.

"You can't expect me to sleep on that thing," he said incredulously, coming up behind her. "_You _probably wouldn't even fit on it!"

"Then you're sleeping on the floor."

"I didn't _exactly_ plan on camping out so soon."

"Oh, so you chose to plan this out instead?"

"I told you, I didn't plan this! It was a—"

"Oh, hush Andrew," May groaned, turning around and placing a hand out to silence him as she thought about what to do next.

She considered kicking him out of the room, but she couldn't bring herself to do that. Her conscience wouldn't let her, so she had to let him stay. With a frustrated grunt, she turned back to the closet, where she spotted a pile of spare blankets. Reaching a decision, she bent down to pull the lot out with one hand and tucked it under her arm. Then, she crossed the room and kicked off her shoes before she climbed onto the bed.

Drew watched with bewilderment as she began to create a barrier with the blankets, dividing the bed in two equal halves. She turned to him afterwards with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Fine. If you're not going to sleep on the couch or the floor, then it can't be helped. You'll have to sleep on the bed with me," she sighed. Then, her expression turned serious and her eyes narrowed menacingly. "But you'd better not touch me or you'll find yourself incapable of fathering children for the rest of your life."

Drew couldn't contain the smirk that came to his lips at her words, but he was able to hide it from her when she began to tuck herself in under the covers. When she looked back at him, with her eyes repeating the very same warning that she had given him just a mere minute ago, he raised his hands in a surrendering gesture and tried to conceal his smirk the best way that he could.

He said nothing in response as he made his way over to his side of the bed, where he stopped to take off his shoes, making sure to avoid a pair of sapphire blue eyes along the way to prevent himself from laughing. But a few minutes after he got himself settled into bed, he decided to give into the temptation to tease her one last time before going to sleep.

"You know, this is somewhat a good thing," he said. "If you think about it, we're actually saving money by just renting _one_ room. Maybe we should just rent one room from now on. I certainly don't mind—"

"Shut up, Andrew."

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I can't believe that in about another hour, 2011 will officially be over and 2012 will be taking its place! Where has the time gone? This year went by way too fast. :\ Regardless, I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year again! Thanks for reading, please review. :)

Oh, and about my new Contestshipping fanfiction: I'd originally intended for it to be a rated M fanfiction, but as I was writing down the basic plot, I found that there really isn't any rated M material aside from the rated M scene in the first chapter that I had published. My plot took a different turn entirely so I will be deleting the old story and then publishing a new one with the same name with the same summary whenever I get done writing the new first chapter. It should be up around next Wednesday. Please be sure to give it as much support as you've been giving this story! Thank you loads. :D

P.S. The romantic comedy I was describing is based off of the movie and book called _Flipped. _You should go check out if you haven't heard of it before; it was my favorite story as a little girl. :)


	13. Mulberry City

****Update April 2013: ****This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>So, how did everyone's first week of 2012 go? I hope you all had fun on New Year's Day! :) Guess what I discovered? Since I was born in December, I've always assumed that I was a winter baby, but I just realized on New Year's Day that the day I was born on is <em>technically<em> still in autumn. I literally spent my entire life wondering why I hated winter but loved autumn so much if I was a winter baby only to realize 16 years later that I was born in the fall... FAIL WHALE. And the fact that my parents never bothered to correct me after all these years just made things worse. -_-

Well, now that you guys have just read that bit of unessential information, I don't have much to say now after that aside from the usual so here it is: happy reading and please review! :)

**_Responses to Reviews...  
>chocolatehell:<em>**_ Me too! It's so adorable! And the kid of who played Bryce was pretty cute, too. ;D But thanks! LOL about the "inappropriate evil manic laughter".  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Ahah! Maybe, maybe not. :)  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ I'm glad I made you happy! You'll have to read to find out. :D  
><em>_**Shikishima:**__ Me too! My copy is sooo tattered though; I read it too many times as a kid, I might have to buy a new copy. :p  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies:**__ Baths are like a little piece of heaven. It takes all of my willpower not to sleep into the next morning because I take really late baths! Especially the warm ones during the winter time, they just make me want to stay in forever because this weather is so lethal. I hate the cold. :(  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Why thank you (as always). :D  
><em>_**Claudette14: **__That will be happening very soon hopefully, depending on what I decide to put in my chapters from now until that chapter. And thanks very much! If anything, _you_ rock! :D  
><em>_**misspokemonpro:**__ I will love that cookie very much. Can it be a sugar cookie with sky blue frosting or a snickerdoodle cookie? :3 But thank you so much! I'm glad I managed to make this your favorite!  
><em>_**leotinees:**__ I can't tell you anything, but this won't be the only time that they'll be sharing a room, I can assure you. :)  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ HAHAH! All of my friends say that about their siblings. I have none so I can't say the same. :\ Thanks!  
><em>_**Chi-chiwawa:**__ Pssssshh, of course not! I update every Saturday, you silly goose :D And I did! Expect Lady Gaga to have the most craziest outfit...I'm surprised it wasn't any worse! Lol  
><em>_**xxTheBloodyRosexx:**__ OHMYGOSH! You should've told me in your last review before New Year's so that I could've wished you a happy birthday early instead of late! Anyways, happy belated birthday! I hope you had a good new year's/birthday! I'm so jealous that you're a new year's baby, grrr. Let me just sing you happy birthday:  
><em>Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to xxTheBloodyRosexx, happy birthday to you!_  
>Ahem...be thank that that was through the internet and not in person because...heh heh...I can't sing for the life of me... :p Anyhow, are they really? I'm glad you think that and I'm happy that I manage to make you happy! :D<br>__**The Last Poison Apple:**__ No, it doesn't. It just makes you a Contestshipper :D  
><em>_**Heatherflower:**__ No, don't apologize! It's fine, just so long as you remember to read and review! :)  
><em>_**LuvAllPokemon:**__ Psh, it's okay. As long as you still read and eventually review, I'm okay. :) Quite personally, I'd jam a pillow into his mouth...ahem.  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ It does! I loved their arguments and bickering the most whenever I watched them in the anime. :D  
><em>_**zhangk:**__ Thank you so so much for your review! Are you serious? Could I please have the link to this Tumblr if you still have it? I can't believe that someone actually did a Tumblr post about my story! Thanks for reviewing and for informing me! :D_

* * *

><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 13<strong>

* * *

><p>"ANDREW HAYDEN!" came a loud, ear-splitting screech from May's mouth as she pushed away from the boy, whose arms she had just woken up in.<p>

If her decibel didn't wake him then her hands smacking into his chest certainly did the job. Drew was wide awake and sitting upright in a split second.

"What? What?" he cried in alarm, while snapping his head from side to side to find anything unusual in their room that could possibly be the cause for her sudden scream. When he found nothing, he turned to glare at her. "Why'd you scream?"

May glared back at him with disbelief, as if she couldn't believe that he had the nerve to ask her.

"What happened to the blanket barrier?" she demanded of him.

"What do you mean what happened to the blanket barrier?" he demanded back, the aggravation melting off of his face.

Confused, he turned and looked to his side at the place where the blanket barrier was...or should have been. His brows knitted together in confusion when he found it missing.

"What happened to the blanket barrier?" he asked her in shock.

May growled and turned around to snatch her pillow from behind her. Drew barely had time to dodge before she sent it slamming into his bicep.

"_You're _asking _me_? _You_ did something to it in your sleep!" she accused him. "Don't ask _me_ what happened to it!"

"Calm down, May," he sighed and fell back onto the bed with a thud. "What proof do you have that I did? Maybe _you_ were the one who did something to it."

"Me? Why would I do something to it? I was the one who made it!" May exclaimed.

"Oh, what's the big deal?" Drew groaned, looking at her in exasperation. "Maybe you did something to it, or maybe I did something to it—who cares? It's not like I raped you in your sleep or something just because it wasn't there."

"No, you didn't. But I woke up with your arms around me, so it's not that far off," she snapped, her eye twitching in anger.

Drew had to cross his arms behind his head to hide the pleased smile that he had let slip. So, he had her in his arms as they slept, huh? Great. And it got her annoyed? Even better. The look on her face was so amusing that he had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. It was because of those types of looks from her that made him constantly tease her whenever there was an opportunity, and what gave him the satisfaction whenever he was successful in irritating her.

"Geez, May, your face is redder than a tomato berry," he joked, just to annoy her further. "What could possibly be so bad about waking up in my arms? Many girls would love to be in your position right now."

"Did I not clarify when we first met that I'm not one of those girls?"

"You're just in denial," he insisted with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders as he turned his head in the direction of the window.

His eyes shut as he prepared to go back to sleep, but of course May wouldn't let him do that.

"_I'm_ in denial?" she practically screeched at him. "You're just too full of yourself!"

"Whatever you say, May."

His eyes opened again as he spoke, and it was then that he noticed how dark the room was and how dark it looked outside, even with the blinds drawn over the windows. It was still early in the morning; they probably hadn't been asleep for long.

"It's practically yesterday," he sighed and closed his eyes. "Let's get some more sleep instead of debating about this, shall we?"

"You honestly don't think I'm going back to sleep without something between us, do you?"

"That's fine. I'll just get this bed to myself then."

As much as May didn't want to sleep in the same bed as him, she wasn't about to let him take the entire thing. It took her a minute, but she finally began to settle back under the covers of the bed. But she made sure to put as much distance between her and Drew as possible.

A smirk spread across his lips when he felt her do so.

"I thought so," he muttered smugly.

"Do you get some sick pleasure out of annoying me?" she grumbled back.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't."

"You're a jerk."

"That's debatable," Drew yawned. An amused smile spread across his lips after he shut his mouth again. "Good night, May."

* * *

><p>Drew and May didn't wake again until the sunlight poured across the bed from the curtained windows. Drew was the first to stir out of his sleep since he was facing the window. With an audible groan, he turned on his side so that he was facing May.<p>

To his dismay, the girl had managed to stay as far away from him as the bed allowed as they slept. He wouldn't have minded waking up with her in his arms again. But as he thought about it, he figured that it was a good thing that they had stayed so far apart from each other on the bed. He didn't want to have to face her wrath again when she woke up before him.

An hour later, they were both ready to set out again from Vermillion City. Their first destination was Mulberry City, a city just a little ways east of Vermillion, where they planned to stop at briefly before continuing on to Lavender Town, where a contest was set to take place in another week.

The trip to Mulberry wasn't a long one, so they would be able to reach the city by nightfall, even if they took a couple of breaks. Thanks to Drew's excellent navigation skills and timing, they were already halfway to the city by late afternoon.

"So, is Lillipup the only pokémon you brought with you?" Drew asked May just to make small talk a couple minutes after she had let out the puppy pokémon.

She shook her head in response.

"I brought along my Blaziken, too," she replied, flicking the remaining PokéBall on her bracelet to show him that she had.

"Where'd you get it?"

"Who? Lillipup or Blaziken?"

Drew nodded at the little pokémon, who was trotting in front of them, and May made a sound of understanding.

"Oh, I got it from Gary as a graduation present," she explained.

Drew almost groaned at the sound of the guy's name. Just when he had thought that he wouldn't be hearing it for a while, she brought it up. He wished that he had just kept his mouth shut instead of asking where she had gotten Lillipup. Why did it matter to him, anyway?

"Well, that was nice of him," he said bitterly.

May smiled fondly at the thought of Gary, completely oblivious to the tone of her traveling partner's voice.

"Yeah, it was," she murmured dreamily.

Drew made no other comment.

The rest of the journey to Mulberry City went without many words being spoken between the two, aside from the occasional whine from May about how exhausted and hungry she was. Each whine had been met with an eye roll and remark from Drew, which had earned him a vicious glare from her. By nightfall, she had learned to keep her whining to herself, though. The city was slowly coming into view, anyway, so there was hardly any point. She would be able to contain her hunger and her whining for a little while more.

"Hey, look, the city! Now you can stop whining about your hunger," Drew exclaimed with a smirk at May when he saw how relieved she looked.

The smile on her face fell instantly. So much for containing herself.

"Don't act like you're not hungry yourself," she snapped at him.

"I'll admit I'm hungry, but at least I have the decency to _not_ whine about it every five minutes."

"I did _not _whine about it every five minutes!" May protested.

"Maybe not, but you whined enough for it to _seem_ like you were whining every five minutes," he insisted. Then his voice changed into something that sounded like the crossbreed of May's voice and chimchar's squeal.

She watched with disgust as he began to mock her, repeating every word of every whine of hers that had been spoken in the past three hours. Her cheeks colored after he finished his little reenactment of her.

"I do not sound like that," she deadpanned.

"Are you sure? Because that's exactly how you sound like to me," he smirked, enjoying the rise he was getting out of her.

"Urgh!" May growled as she threw her hands in the air in frustration.

Her mouth opened again to retort, but nothing came out; she was too annoyed to think of anything else to say. Instead, she sent one final glare his way before she stomped off for the rest of the trail and right over to the pavement of Mulberry City.

A chuckle from Drew could be heard from behind her as he stepped up his pace and caught up with her.

The city's Pokémon Center was a lot further from where they entered the city than they had originally anticipated or wanted. It would have been nice if the building was just a few yards away, or right in front of them when they entered, but instead it was at least a mile away. Even after a consecutive half hour of walking, they had yet to see a building with a large PokéBall at the middle of the roof.

"Let's just go grab a bite to eat, May," Drew suggested after his impatience got the better of him. "I'm starving."

"Oh no, I'm not falling for that again," May declared. "I fell for that yesterday. We're sleeping in _separate_ beds tonight."

"But I'm starving! Aren't you starving?"

"I am, but I'm not going to risk sharing a room with you again. You can wait, Andrew."

"Fine," he grumbled. "But if we don't see the Pokémon Center in the next five minutes, we're going to a restaurant."

Much to Drew's dismay, they wound up finding the Pokémon Center in under three minutes, so their quest to find a restaurant had to be delayed. When they approached the front desk, May threw an arm out to block him from stepping any closer to the Nurse Joy, who was sitting behind the counter.

"I'm checking in this time," she told him when he gave her an annoyed and confused look. "Just in case you decide to sabotage the check-in process again."

"_I already told you_, I had _nothing_ to do with—"

"Oh, but of course you didn't, Drew," May laughed sarcastically, drawing odd looks from Drew and the other people around them. She ceased to do so when she noticed, and her expression fell into something more serious.

"I'd be more clueless than a slowpoke if I believed you," she deadpanned.

Drew didn't bother trying to prove his innocence to her anymore.

He didn't know if it was his aggravation, his hunger, or just his impatience that made the registration seem much longer than usual, but it felt as if they were in the Pokémon Center longer than they needed to be. He watched as the hand on the clock above the counter that accounted for every second ticked agonizingly slow. It seemed like an entire hour passed before May turned back to him with two separate room keys and a smug look on her face.

"Here's your room key," she said as she reached down to grab his wrist, twisted it so that his palm was facing up, and slapped the silver and green card into his hand. "We can go eat now."

May began to head toward the automatic doors of the building, leaving behind a gaping Drew, who stared after her disbelievingly. After he managed to snap back into the present, he bowed his head and shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants as he began to follow her. He was so busy muttering something about impatience that he didn't notice that she had frozen in her tracks. He almost ran right into her back, but he managed to look up just in time to stop himself.

And just in time to see Brendan Birch walking into the Pokémon Center.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> My apologies if this chapter was a little short; my teachers decided it'd be fun to load me up with work the first week back from break so I didn't have much time to write. -_- Hopefully the next chapter will be longer. Sorry to leave you guys with a cliffhanger. :p Thank you for reading, please review!


	14. You Can't Leave Me

****Update April 2013: ****This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

* * *

><p>I reached over 200 reviews! Thank you all so much for all you guys have done for me so far! I have nothing else to say aside from that except the usual, so happy reading and please review! :D<p>

Oh yeah, this is going to be one of those tear-jerker chapters...just saying.

**_Responses to Reviews...  
>EeveeTransformed:<em>**_ Because I'm evil, muahahaha. ;) Lol, your reviews are too funny!  
><em>_**LuvAllPokemon:**__ Sorry, I disabled my PM because I figured I could just respond to my reviewers at the beginning of each chapter anyways. Should I enable it? O.o  
><em>_**xxTheBloodyRosexx:**__ Yay! I made you feel special! :D Read to find out :)  
><em>_**Misspokemonpro:**__ Did you really stay up all morning to wait for it? O.o I'm sorry that I kept you waiting that long then! Thanks for the cookies! It's funny how you offer me a bag of random cookies without even knowing about my awkward obsession with cookies :D  
><em>_**ColbyDanielle:**__ I hope I made it interesting enough then. :)  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ It's fine! A short review is still a review and as long as that's still the case, I'm content. :) I really like arguments between them, too. I enjoy writing them a lot haha!  
><em>_**KittyRin:**__ Why thank you very much! :D  
><em>_**Obviously Citra:**__ Thanks! :D  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ It's okay. Thanks for making up for it :)  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Well, I do I love me some drama. ;D  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ He was planning on going to Kanto :) (he and May had planned to travel together so it was his original intention to go there). I'm with you on the weather part! I absolutely hate summer and winter because they're both either too hot or too cold! Spring and fall are my favorite seasons because they balance out warmth and coolness perfectly. I hate too much of either one; I need a balance, but unfortunately the balance never lasts long. :\ Yay! You got my reviews! I'm so happy that my app got fixed! I felt so deprived without it. o.o  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ I hate them, too! I don't understand what you meant about the 9.4/10 though...I checked your profile and it didn't help hah. :p Could you explain it to me please?  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ Same here! :D  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Thanks for the comfort! My friends all laughed at me. Cruel people. -_-  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ I never really cared much for Leaf, so she's not going to be in this fanfiction, sorry. :p I didn't have time to check out your story this week because I had a bunch of tests I had to study for! I'm sorry! I'll check it out when I have free time! I'll be sure to and I'm sure I'll like it! Maybe you could check out my new one,_ Absol, as_ well? :D  
><em>_**Namcitaable:**__ Thank_ you _so much for saying what you said! :) And same! Lol, I'd love to wake up to someone as hott as Drew. xD  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies:**__ Lol! Isn't it? I want to, too...especially someone as hott as Drew. Only May's reaction was a lot different from what ours' would be. :p  
><em>_**ponyiowa:**__ Haha, thank you! :D_

* * *

><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 14<strong>

* * *

><p>Time seemed to have stopped for Brendan, Drew, and May. None of them said a word to break the dreadful silence that fell upon them; they were frozen in surprise. Neither Drew nor May had expected to see Brendan, and vice versa; he hadn't expected to see them either.<p>

"Hey...what are you doing here?" Brendan asked May after a while.

As if it wasn't bad enough that he had had her on his mind ever since their last meeting, she had to appear in the same Pokémon Center that he was going to check out in as well. If he would have known that he was going to see her—and _him_—then he would have settled for going to Unova instead of sticking with his original plans and coming to Kanto.

But then again, how was he supposed to know that he was going to run into May so early into his journey? He would have liked to run into her at some point after some time had passed for the both of them to recover from the incident two days ago—had it really only been two days since his confession?—but this was far too soon. It had only been two days and already she was standing before him! He had even decided not to participate in any Pokémon Contests for a while just to avoid her! Arceus sure was cruel.

"I'm...uh...just stopping by here for the night," May answered, while diverting her eyes to the ground because she couldn't meet his eyes.

There was an uncomfortable ache in her chest where her heart was, and it hurt. She wanted so badly to just throw herself into his arms, but she couldn't. Not with the awkwardness and uncertainty that hung around them. She didn't want to cause him anymore pain than she already had.

"Oh," he muttered, and his eyes began to wander after meeting hers for only a split second.

It only took them a second to fall upon Drew, who was standing behind her. At first, Brendan wondered why he was there, until he remembered that the guy was traveling with May. A bitter feeling washed over him when he saw the guy. He only acknowledged him with a curt nod before turning back to May.

Drew understood Brendan's meaning immediately. Even if the guy didn't voice his wish, it was clear what he wanted: alone time with May. Had it only been his desire alone, Drew never would have even considered granting him his wish, but it was evident that someone else shared his wish as well. He didn't want to grant Brendan's wish, but he did want to grant May's. If getting some time alone with Brendan was what she wanted, then he would give it to her.

"I'm going to go grab some dinner," he announced reluctantly, more to May than Brendan. "I'll see you in the morning, May."

May only nodded in response. Her eyes were locked on Brendan's, but she still saw Drew leaving through the automatic doors in her peripheral vision. She knew that it was his way of giving her some time alone with Brendan, and made a mental note to thank him later.

Brendan smiled at May a moment after Drew left. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes like his old ones did, but it was a smile nonetheless. It offered May a bit of comfort knowing that her best friend was still willing to smile at her. Her lips automatically spread into one in return.

"I'm assuming that since he didn't eat yet that you haven't either?" he asked.

"Yeah, we just got here like ten minutes ago. We didn't have time."

"Would you like to go get something to eat with me, then?"

May smiled brightly.

"Of course I would," she told him.

After Brendan went to check himself into the Pokémon Center, he and May set out into city together and found themselves a small diner to eat in. Over dinner, their conversation took the course of those of their past ones. It was as if Brendan's confession had never happened and a wedge had never been driven in between their friendship. Bright smiles were plastered on their faces and genuine laughs came out of their mouths. May had begun to think that the things were finally going back to normal...until they returned to the Pokémon Center.

"Are you seriously going through with this?" Brendan suddenly asked her, when they stopped to wait for the elevator.

May turned to him with confusion and watched as his smile fell from his face. Dread began to seep in when she realized what was coming.

"Going through with what?" she murmured, even though she had an idea of what he was asking.

"With traveling with Drew," he told her. "Are you really going to continue traveling with him?"

May took a deep breath before answering.

"Yes," she whispered.

Brendan huffed in disbelief and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Then, he grabbed her abruptly by the wrist and pulled her so that she was facing him. She jumped a bit in surprise before dread settled in when she saw the pain in his eyes after she met them with hers. The words that came out of his mouth next felt like repeated jabs in the chest.

"_Why, _May?" he asked, his tone angry and exasperated. "You don't have to go through with this. No one's going to blame you if you just walk away now. You can just leave with me in the morning and leave him behind—it's just that simple. He'll have no right to blame you if you do. He forced you into this. Why can't you just..."

He trailed off when he saw her shake her head. Watching her as she did so made him feel as if someone had just rammed a blade through his heart. All of the anger that had been boiling in him melted away, leaving desperation to take its place.

"What are the odds, May, that we would run into each other here?" he asked her, his voice barely a whisper. "I didn't know that you were coming here, and you didn't know that I was coming here. Don't you think this is fate? Don't you think that Arceus somehow planned this and made it happen? Don't you think that this is a sign for you to leave Drew? Why are you being so stubborn?"

May kept her eyes clamped shut as she shook her head over and over again. She wanted to shake herself awake so that when she opened her eyes, the past few days would have only been a figment of her imagination. Brendan never confessed to her, and the wedge between their friendship wasn't there.

But of course, she wasn't that lucky. When she opened her eyes, she saw Brendan still looking down at her, his amber eyes smoldering with hurt. She couldn't find the words to respond to him. She couldn't even find her voice. The only thing she could do was divert her eyes to the ground in shame, unable to meet his eyes.

"I really thought that tonight would have been enough to convince you to come travel with me instead," Brendan said solemnly when he realized that she had given him his answer, even if she hadn't voiced it. "I really thought that tonight would've changed things, but I see that it hasn't. I shouldn't have tried."

May tried to speak, but he continued to cut her off.

"No, forget it. Don't say anything else, May. Just...forget everything that happened tonight, alright? And everything that happened that night, too," he requested, his voice strained. "Pretend like I never said anything to you and pretend like we're still how we were before...just pretend like our friendship's still the same as it was before all of this happened."

But it wasn't. No matter how badly both of them wished for it to be the same as it was before, it wasn't. The wedge in their friendship had only been driven further, even when he pulled her into a hug. His arms formed a constricting bind around her waist, while she let her tears fall against his chest. He wanted to hold her to him forever, to bring her along with him on his journey so that she wouldn't have to go back to Drew.

But he couldn't because she wouldn't let him. Even if she did, he no longer knew if he wanted to do so anymore. Not if it was out of guilt. Not if it was against her will. Not if he could barely bring himself to look at her anymore.

"I'm going to take a walk," he told her as he pulled away. He kept his eyes off of her face to avoid having to see the tears, to resist the urge to wipe them away. "I'll see you in the morning."

With that, he turned and headed for the doors of the building.

May watched him as he left, tears streaming down her face as he did so. She had done it again. She had hurt her best friend once again only days after breaking him. The elevator had to make three total trips to the second floor and back until she was finally able to bring herself to get in.

After she reached the second floor, she made a beeline for her bed, wanting nothing more than to escape into the land of sleep where troubles and pain were absent. Thankfully, sleep took pity on her and seized her the second she settled under the covers.

Early the next morning, Brendan checked out of the Pokémon Center and made his way out of the city before everyone in the building was awake. Everyone including May.

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><p>Drew set out from the Pokémon Center with May the next morning after he went to retrieve her from her room. He was surprised when he first saw her. She looked more dead than alive with the light in her eyes gone and the look in them distant and hollow. Her mouth was unusually clamped shut, and not even Lillipup could bring a smile to her face when she let it out for its daily walk. She just remained silent with an emotionless mask on her face.<p>

It drove Drew crazy.

"Say something," he pled, finally unable to remain quiet. "Anything. Anything at all."

When May remained silent, he reached out and snatched her wrist, pulling her so that she faced him. Her feet halted, but no sign of surprise was registered on her face. She just stared aimlessly at the floor, her eyes still void of emotion.

He gripped her arms and shook her. "May."

At the sound of her name, May's mask suddenly crumbled away to reveal the pain that she actually felt. The way that he said her name was just too much like Brendan, and the way he pulled her into him was exactly like how Brendan had done last night. Breaking away from Drew, she burst into sobs. Heart-wrenching, body-wracking sobs that choked her and rendered her incapable of standing. Her legs buckled from beneath her and she fell to the ground, her tears creating dark circles in the dirt beneath her.

"May," Drew gasped in alarm and lowered himself to the ground beside her. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have forced you to talk!"

Taking her into his arms, he held her head to his shoulder with one hand while his other hand rubbed soothing circles on her back. He could feel his shirt soaking up every single tear that she shed.

"It's all my fault," May managed to choke out in between her sobs. "I hurt him so much that he couldn't even stand to be in the same building as me! He had to check out this morning _extra_ early just so he could avoid seeing me again! It's all my fault..."

Tear after tear fell from her eyes as she clutched onto Drew, repeating her last three words over and over again. Drew remained silent as she did so, letting her sob until she couldn't sob any longer. His heart ached and his arms tightened their hold around her with every sob that she let out. It seemed like a lifetime until her cries finally subsided to hiccups and her tears gradually dried up. A small patch of dirt had turned to mud beneath her after she was done.

"It's not too late to catch up to him now, May," he murmured to her grudgingly.

It killed him to say the words, but he couldn't bring himself to watch her suffer any longer. Watching her cry instantly made him regret ever coming up with the wager. He never should've forced her into traveling with him. All of this wouldn't have happened had he not been stupid enough to do so. If letting her find Brendan could spare her from any more pain, he was willing to let her go.

"I can leave and you can go find him. He couldn't have gotten far," he said.

May reacted instantly.

"No, don't leave me!" she begged frantically, clutching onto his arms and holding him in place. "I need you, Drew! Don't leave me!"

Drew head nodded once, his arms tightening around her. Happiness swelled in his heart, but it wasn't enough to make him feel better about her pain.

"I'll be here with you for as long as you need me," he whispered to her.

She pulled away to look at him, searching his eyes for any sign of dishonesty.

"Do you promise, or are you just going to disappear later like Brendan did?" she asked.

A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he shook his head.

"I promise. I'm not going to disappear unless you wish for me to," he promised her.

Reassured, May dropped her head back down into the crook of his neck and settled deeper into his arms.

At that moment, a cry rang through the air. Drew and May immediately broke apart, snapping their heads up and trying to pinpoint the source and location of the sound. It was loud, even with the sound of rushing water in the background. Another one rang through just after it in the direction of the forest. After listening to it closely, May realized whom it had belonged to.

Lillipup.

All of the color drained from her face and fear surged through her. In all of her despair, she hadn't noticed that Lillipup had left in search of something to cheer her up with. She leapt to her feet immediately and her legs kicked off in the direction where the scream had come from. Drew was quick to follow behind her, while she dashed through the forest. Leaves smacked into her eyes and branches left cuts on her face, but she didn't slow. She needed to get to Lillipup.

Another cry from Lillipup pierced the air again, and May accelerated herself forward even faster. Her feet trampled over a bed of flowers, but she didn't even stop to feel bad for destroying them. Nothing could stop her from pushing herself forward. Adrenaline fueled her every step.

When May finally broke through the trees, she was horrified to find Lillipup being carried down a rushing river. Her eyes widened.

"Lillipup!" she cried.

Her legs kicked off again and she began to race down the edge of the river, trying desperately to get close enough to Lillipup so that she could grab it and save it. Her feet pounded into the ground, her legs crying out in protest as she ran, but she didn't stop. Not until a blurred figure leapt into the river in front of her. It took her a split second to register the head of green hair.

"Drew!" she exclaimed, eyes wide with fright.

She watched in horror as Drew fought against the rapid current, swimming with every ounce of strength he had toward Lillipup, who was thrashing as it was pummeled by the water. He reached it in time just before it hit a large boulder in the middle of the river. Wrapping his arms around the small pokémon, he turned himself around so that his back slammed into the boulder instead. His cry of pain pierced the air as the river continued to rush forward. He fought against both it and the pain in order to throw Lillipup to May.

The pokémon soared through the air toward its owner, coughing out water when it landed in her arms. Relieved for the moment, she quickly withdrew her Lillipup and reattached the PokéBall to her bracelet before she looked over at Drew. He was struggling to hold onto the boulder and to keep his mouth shut so that no water could enter it, but he failed miserably in doing both. In a split second, the water forced him away from the boulder and down the river again, carrying him away at a speed that no human could even hope to keep up with.

"Drew!" May called after him, starting to run after him, but then thought better of it.

Thinking fast, she quickly released Blaziken from its PokéBall instead of chasing after Drew.

"Get him!" she shouted at the pokémon, and it obliged immediately.

Even though it was a fire type pokémon, which were weak against water, having it get Drew gave him a better chance of surviving than if May went after him. She could only hope that Drew hadn't drowned yet as she ran along the river, watching as Blaziken leapt across the boulders in the river with amazing speed.

In a minute that seemed much too long, Blaziken had caught up to Drew. Reaching out with its claw, it grabbed the green-haired boy and pulled him safely into its arms. Quickly leaping back to land, it hurried over to May and placed the guy on the ground in front of her.

"Drew!" she breathed in relief and fell down to the ground beside his limp body when she finally reached her blaziken.

His body was soaking wet and his lips were slightly agape, but that wasn't what scared her most. The thing that scared her the most were his eyes. His lifeless, emerald green eyes.

"Drew," she gasped, her hands flying up to clutch his face.

She shook him once, but he didn't move. Fear washed over her like the rushing river beside them. Her hand shook as it came down to his neck to check his pulse. It wasn't there.

"Oh Arceus...no!" she cried in despair. "Drew!"

Her hands found their way down to the middle of his chest. Stacking one over the other, she repeatedly pressed down on his chest a couple of times, performing compressions before she leaned down and pressed her lips to his. She breathed into his mouth.

"Drew! Wake up!" she urged. When he didn't respond, she repeated the process. "Drew, breathe!"

More compressions, but still no response. Hysteria took over her and she fell to the ground.

"Drew!" she sobbed, her voice quivering in fear. "Do you not hear me? Wake up, you idiot, wake up!"

Tears soaked her already wet cheeks. He wasn't waking up. Why wasn't he waking up? He couldn't be gone. He just couldn't be. Her unwillingness to accept the fact sent a surge of adrenaline and anger through her. She got back on her knees and hovered over him again. Her hands shook his limp body.

"Andrew Hayden! _Wake up_! You can't die, you hear me? You can't die!" she screamed at him. "I'm already all alone out here—you can't leave me! You promised me you'd be here for me as long as I need you! I _still_ need you! Wake up!"

Her fists raised above her head before she sent them slamming down onto his chest. She did it once.

"You promised not to leave me!"

She did it again.

"You can't leave me!"

She did it a third time.

A fourth time.

A fifth.

By the sixth time, all of her strength left her and her fists only landed on his chest with the touch of a beautifly. They bounced slightly on contact and froze, sliding off of him slightly as she fell back onto the ground.

"Drew," she sobbed and gave his heart one last, weak pound before she fell back from him and wept.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well, now I don't really know if that was really tear-jerking material, but it sure as heck made my heart pound while I went back to revise it. That was a suspenseful chapter, that was. My hands shook just typing it. O.o What'd you think? Review?


	15. Subconscious Words

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>I'm sure I made a lot of you hate me for killing Drew...yeah, I definitely just killed him off so that his spirit can look after May on her journey...I'm sorry guys. :\<p>

JUST KIDDING. Lol! How much would you guys hate me if that were actually the case? Hehehe, you silly gooses and your reviews. xD I hope you guys enjoy this chapter knowing that Drew isn't dead. Happy reading, please review!

**_Responses to Reviews...  
>chocolatehell:<em>**_ Lol, sorry about that. I hate them, too. :p I'll try not to leave you guys with another cliffhanger anymore. :)  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl: **_What the?_: Drew drowned and died. _How the?_: He leapt into a rushing river to save poor little Lillipup. _Why the?_: Because I'm a cruel person who likes to make the type of stuff happen to the characters in my stories. :D Thanks for the rating!  
><em>_**Palkia's Princess:**__ Duh! That's why he's not going to die. :D  
><em>_**LiteBulb:**__ Thanks!  
><em>_**Obviously Citra:**__ Haha, that's what I was going for!  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Hehe, wasn't he so brave? :D  
><em>_**misspokemonpro:**__ Here's the next chapter. :)  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Oh, I could've...but I didn't! :D  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Thanks! He's not dead, don't worry! Well, he is, but he won't stay dead! xP  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Haha, did it really? I guess it was pretty similar to a_ Twilight _moment, but _I_ was actually thinking of Gale, Katniss, and Peeta from the _Hunger Games_ when I was writing it. Have you ever read that trilogy? You should if you haven't! I'm obsessed with it. :)  
>And they just left the Pokémon Center! I wrote that they left Mulberry City in the morning! Lol, and when you're in such a dangerous situation, your brain might not always work so logically. :p<br>__**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ I know, I'm breaking the poor girl. :( Unfortunately, it's part of my story plot. Anyways, about the part you pointed out, I just added that last sentence because it ended the paragraph better. The paragraph just didn't sound right leaving it off at "vice versa", you know? Thanks for pointing it out though. :)  
><em>_**Namicitaable:**__ Yeah, he does. :\ Maybe I'll write a Hoennshipping fanfiction so that he actually gets May? I don't know. Thanks very much though! :)  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ What if I told you he really was? You'd probably hate me even more...but of course I wouldn't do that to you. ;D I really wanted to update sooner this week because I didn't want to leave everyone with such a crazy cliffhanger, but I was_ way_ too busy! I had to study for tests (I literally had one every day of the week!) and for my midterms next week and I had to write the next chapter of my other fanfiction, _Absol_, so I just didn't have time! I'm sorry! Here it is on schedule, though! Do I still get cookies? :3  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies:**__ Lol, Brianna...  
><em>_**Pokegirl4896:**__ Here it is! :D  
><em>_**LuvAllPokemon:**__ LOLOLOLOL! I laughed the hardest when I read this review! You're so cute! :D Don't hurt me though! x3  
><em>_**Pikachufan44:**__ Thank you for your wonderful compliment! I'm beyond flattered! Thank you so much! :')  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ I know. The poor girl. D:  
><em>_**Heatherflower:**__ Thanks so much! Here's the next chapter. :)_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 15<strong>

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><p><em>This is all your fault, May Maple. If it weren't for you, this wouldn't have happened. Drew wouldn't have drowned to save Lillipup. He wouldn't be dead. It's all your fault. He's never coming back now, and it's all because of you.<em>

The agonizing words echoed in her head over and over again, joining with her conscience to haunt her with the cruel truth of Drew's death. She pulled back to stare at his face, pale and still. Then his eyes, lifeless and dark. The light had been entirely drained from them. He really was gone.

Drew Hayden was gone, and she had single-handedly caused his death.

She couldn't believe it. Didn't want to believe it. How could he be gone? Just like that? How was it possible? There was no way that it was possible. Arceus wasn't that cruel. Drew had done nothing wrong, so why would Arceus take him away? How could Arceus take him away?

Anger suddenly surged through her. Bad things only happened to bad people. Drew wasn't a bad person. He wasn't, so why was he dead? Her defiant nature refused to accept it.

With newfound determination, fueled with anger at the unfairness of the situation and the fear of losing him, she raised her fists into the air and slammed them down onto his chest. She even sent a hand smacking across his cheek. His hard, freezing cold cheek.

"Drew!" she cried. "I know you're still there! I know you can hear me! You're not dead, so _wake up_! You can't die, you hear me? _Wake up_!"

She angrily switched back to performing compressions over the area on his chest where she had been pounding. She pressed down once, twice, a third time, and a couple times more until she bent down to breath into his mouth. When that didn't work the first time, she grew impatient and went back to the pounding. One pound, two pounds, three pounds...

Another hard pound later, Drew finally coughed out a fountain full of water.

"Were you—the one who—kept hit—ting me so hard?" he sputtered weakly in between coughs.

"Drew!" May cried in a shaky voice, an incredibly large smile breaking across her face.

Sweet relief and pure happiness engulfed her entirely the second she heard Drew's voice again. He was alive! The simple sight of seeing his emerald eyes become full of life again and the onslaught of relief were enough for her eyes to well up with tears all over again. She reached down to hug his head to her chest.

"Thank Arceus, you're alive!" she exclaimed.

More coughing erupted from Drew's mouth before he answered her. One of his hands reached up weakly to wrap around her wrist.

"May," he said, and then coughed. "You're kind of choking me."

"Sorry," she laughed, her voice still shaky with relief.

Holding his head away from her, she brushed his hair away from his face to get a better look of his eyes. She wanted to confirm the fact that he was actually alive, that it wasn't all a dream. To see if they contained any life.

They did. The light was back, making his eyes shine in the sunlight like emeralds in a jewelry store. They were so beautiful.

"Let's get you to a hospital," she said.

Wasting no time, she waved Blaziken over and helped him into its arms. Together, they took Drew to the nearest hospital in Lavender City, which was thankfully only a mere mile away. At the first sight of him when they entered the building, a team of nurses immediately brought out a stretcher and took him into a room. Some time passed until the doctor emerged from the door after checking up on him.

"Everything's fine with Mr. Hayden. He swallowed a lot of the river water, but most of it was coughed out. Thank goodness you were able to save him in time. He should be able to leave the hospital tomorrow morning," the doctor informed her. "He's very weak now because he caught a bit of a cold, so it's best for him to be getting some rest. Maybe you could go grab something to eat and come back later?"

"Yeah, I think I'll just go get some food down at the cafeteria," May responded with a smile, feeling more relief.

"Would you like a nurse to show you the way?"

"No thanks, I'll manage," she insisted. Then, she thanked him for taking care of Drew before finding her way to the hospital's canteen on the bottom floor.

There, she opted to get a cup of noodles from the vending machine instead of ordering something from the friendly man behind the counter. After filling the cup up with hot water from the water cooler, she found an empty table to sit at by the window.

It took her a short amount of time to finish the noodles. There wasn't much of it to begin with, so it had only taken her ten minutes to be done with the food. Drew obviously hadn't gotten enough rest in that short amount of time, so she decided to venture out to explore the city.

It ended up being a stupid idea in the end, though, because she wasn't in the mood to do anything other than sulk. The memory of Drew's near-death experience was still in her head, haunting her and sending a jolt of fear through her every couple of minutes. She kept thinking that he had actually died and that the part where she and Blaziken had taken him the hospital was all a dream.

Thankfully it wasn't. He really was alive and well, sleeping soundly in the hospital bed after she returned to his room a couple hours later when the night had set in.

The room that he was sleeping in was completely silent aside from the ticking clock mounted on the wall across from his bed. There was something peaceful about the way the walls were painted a light green, with the only source of light coming from the single lamp on the end table beside the bed. That was probably the reason why the guy was sleeping so soundly. Either that, or he was just exhausted.

Then again, of course he was. He had just saved Lillipup from a rushing river and come back alive after drowning. Anyone would be exhausted after that.

After closing the door as carefully and silently behind her as possible, May crept over to the chairs that were pressed against the wall. She brought one over to the bed right in front of his legs and sat down in it slowly, watching his face at the same time to make sure she didn't wake him. It startled her when he suddenly opened his mouth and began to mutter something, though his eyes didn't open. She hesitantly asked him to repeat himself when she didn't hear him the first time.

"Water," he muttered more clearly. "I want water."

"Oh, okay. Hang on—I'll go get some for you," she told him and stood up from the chair.

Just as she was turning away from the bed, his hand grabbed hers. Surprisingly, he was still asleep.

"Don't go, May," he breathed, his eyes still clamped shut. Only his lips were moving. "Don't leave me...Arceus, I like you so much. Don't ever leave me."

May's breath caught in her throat. Did she hear him right? He _liked_ her? Since when did he like her? It was the most absurd thing she had ever heard. Andrew Hayden liking her? No way. He was just sleep talking. She couldn't take his subconscious words seriously.

"Drew, stop playing around," she told him, trying to gently pry her hand from his grip. "Drew."

Said guy slowly began to open his eyes. Even though the room was only dimly lit, he still squinted. A groan slipped through his lips as he tried to orient himself. After blinking a few times, he was able to turn his head in May's direction. His groggy face was impassive at first, but after noticing how awkward she looked, his eyes slightly widened.

"I didn't...really say what I think I said in my sleep, did I?" he asked her hesitantly.

"Yeah...you did," May confirmed. She awkwardly shifted her weight from one foot to the other, while crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh," he breathed, glancing down for a brief second.

May waited for him to tell her that everything he had said wasn't true. That every word had been of his subconscious imagination. He hadn't just told her he liked her in his sleep.

But he didn't. He only shrugged before he looked back up at her.

"Well, that's convenient. Now, I don't have to try to find the right time to tell you anymore," he said, not seeming even the slightest bit abashed.

May continued to wait for him to say _just kidding_. Seconds kept passing, but the words still hadn't come out of his mouth. Sometime after a minute passed, she finally began to think that there was a possiblity that he just might not say them. And he really didn't.

"Uh...I should probably be getting you that water you wanted," she muttered. "I'll be right back."

Drew remained lying on his back, waiting for her to return with his glass of water. Part of him worried that she had just left him and wasn't going to come back, but an even bigger part knew that she wouldn't. When she finally did after a couple of minutes, he gave her a small smile, which she half-heartedly returned.

"Here's your water," she said, while handing him the glass of water.

"Thanks," he replied, sitting up before he took a sip.

The warm liquid spilled into his mouth, wetting the inside of it and quenching his thirst. Though it was just water, it just tasted so incredibly good that he couldn't stop gulping it down. The glass was entirely empty in less than ten seconds.

May blinked in surprise. "Do you want another glass?" she asked him.

Drew shook his head and placed the empty cup on the end table beside him right next to the lamp. He turned to her afterward.

"So, I really did tell you that I liked you in my sleep, right?" he asked.

May swallowed and diverted her gaze to the ground. Her head gave a slight nod.

"And you're probably thinking that it was all just some delusional-dreaming speech that my subconscious mind came up with?"

"Uh...yeah."

"Well, if that's the case, then you're wrong," he said simply.

May's breath caught in her throat. She dreaded his next words.

"I'm a pretty straightforward person, so instead of trying to convince you that I was lying, I'm just going to be honest and say that I was telling the truth," he affirmed. "Even if I was still sleeping at the time, it was still the honest truth. I _do_ like you...a lot. Which is why I didn't think twice before jumping into that crazy river to save Lillipup."

May remained silent, keeping her eyes on the ground. She didn't know what she could possibly say to him. No words came to her, and he sighed at her silence.

"Look, I'm not telling you this so that I can force you to be with me just because I risked my life to save Lillipup," he told her. "I'm only telling you this because I honestly wanted you to know. I've been wanting to tell you for the longest time already, but I never knew how to tell you because I didn't know how you'd react. Now—since my mouth worked ahead of my brain—I can finally tell you that I like you a lot, and that I have for a while."

It took May a moment to gather up the courage to ask him how long "a while" was exactly. She hated when he was able to tell her immediately and without hesitation that "a while" was since the moment they first met.

"I don't know what drew me to you—no pun intended—but I fell for you the second I saw you," he said. "Maybe it was those beautiful eyes of yours or the way that you showed absolutely no interest in me, unlike every other girl in my life, but I haven't been able to get you out of my head ever since. Even when we're together like this, you're the only person on my mind. It's just some sort of undeniable attraction to you that makes me enjoy every minute that I'm with you and hope in those minutes that you feel the same way."

May's mouth just refused to function properly and words refused to form on her tongue. She hadn't expected such a confession, nor had she realized that his feelings for her were so strong. It was truly unexplainable.

How could he possibly harbor such feelings for her? How could he just come out and voice them in such a bold and unabashed manner?

Her eyes struggled to pull themselves back up to look at his face. She found that he had been watching her the entire time, his emerald green eyes smoldering with such sincerity that it was difficult to make eye contact. The atmosphere had gotten so unbearably awkward.

Her mouth opened and closed a few times but no words came out.

"Okay, now that the awkward confession part is over and you can't seem to think of something to say, let's talk about something else," Drew suggested when May continued to remain quiet. "Three days into our journey and I already have a near-death experience, huh?"

"It's not funny," May snapped. Hearing him joke about the most fearful event in her life angered her enough for her to find her voice again. "You put me through hell."

"I'm sorry," he said with a smile. It gave him a strange, heartwarming sensation to know that she cared about him.

Her eyes softened. "Thank you for saving Lillipup, by the way. I owe you for that," she promised. Fearing that he was going to make her be with him to repay her debt, she rushed to add, "I'll repay you some way or another...just not the way that you want me to. I can't promise that I'll ever return your feelings."

Drew pressed his lips together into a straight line. Of course he hadn't expected her to have fallen for him immediately after his confession, but it didn't stop the disappointment from washing over him. It was difficult hearing her speak the words of rejection. The only rejection he had ever experienced in his life had come from her. Every ounce had hurt.

"I know, and I'm not asking for that to be my repayment. I don't want your feelings unless they're genuine," he told her. Then, he met her in the eyes with solid determination in his. "But they will be eventually. Maybe not now, or anytime soon, but one day, they will be. You can't promise that they will, but I can promise that I'll be fighting every second of every day until that day comes." He swallowed. "Just don't keep me fighting too long."

May bit the inside of her mouth. She wanted to tell him that she only had feelings for Gary, that her heart had been with him since she was twelve. But for some odd reason, she could't bring herself to do it. She tried to convince herself that it was because that he had just risked his life to save Lillipup. There couldn't be any other reason besides that one.

"Then, I wish you luck," she got herself to say.

Drew continued to stare at her, while the clock on the wall across from them struck ten. Seeing this, he insisted that she head to the Pokémon Center immediately if she wanted a room to sleep in for the night. Another heart-warming emotion spread over him when she offered to stay for the night if he wanted her to, but he didn't agree to it. He knew that it was only out of the obligation she felt for repaying him for saving Lillipup. It wasn't a genuine offer, so he didn't want it.

"It's alright, just come get me tomorrow morning. You need some sleep in a proper bed," he insisted.

May nodded slowly after eying him and the door, torn with having to choose between the two before deciding on the latter. He was right. She needed to sleep in a proper bed.

"Alright then—I'll see you in the morning," she told him, and began to make her way to the door, making sure to wish him a good night before shutting it behind her.

After she left, Drew switched off the light and wriggled himself on the bed so that he was laying on his back. His eyes shut when his head hit the pillow, but he didn't fall asleep despite how tired he was. An odd, freeing sensation was running through his body as well as the sting of rejection. It hurt to know that she didn't return his feelings at the moment, but he knew for a fact that she would eventually. And even if her heart still belonged to Gary, he was willing to fight for her. Gary had stolen it, so he was going to fight to win it back. No matter what it took.

As of the moment, he was going to wait. Wait for her to arrive the next morning to check him out of the hospital. Wait for her to return his feelings. No matter how long it took, he was going to wait. Every ounce of patience he had was going to go into waiting for her.

Because she was worth waiting for.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> YAY! Drew's alive! And he confessed to May! So much has happened in the past couple of chapters, eh? Please tell me your thoughts in the reviews! Thanks for reading. :)


	16. Roses and Stars

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

* * *

><p>Have I ever told you guys that you're all the biggest bunch of sweethearts ever? I don't think I have. I'll do that now: you're all the biggest bunch of sweethearts ever! :D Happy reading everyone! Please keep those reviews coming!<p>

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>chocolatehell:<strong>__ Are you serious? If so, thanks so much! I'm glad I was able to make you anticipate the update! :D But of course I wouldn't kill Drew! He _is_ the main male character! This story will also be pretty long. Around 40 chapters perhaps? I'm really liking where I'm going with it and the response I'm getting so I'd like to keep it going as long as possible. I have a lot in store for it, too. :)  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Lol! It's okay :)  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Haha! Dun dun dun dunnnnnnnnnn. :D  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ YES! I'm getting a cookie! And I love you, too! :D I kept writing! Here's the next chapter!  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Hah! Me too! I wouldn't be able to hold onto my sanity. I'm going to give her an award for good sanity keeping. :) *gives away to May*  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__Thanks for saying that about_ Absol_! Sorry I don't update on a weekly schedule with it like I do this fanfiction, but it's kind of hard to balance two stories and school at the same time. :\ I'll try my best to update at least once every week though! :D  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ Hehe, I'll make sure she doesn't! :)  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Why thank you :D  
><em>_**LuvAllPokemon:**__ HAHAHA! Ohmygosh, you are the cutest thing ever! :D "DA FLUFFINESS OF INFINITY PILLOWSSSSSSSSSS!" You sound like me when I cuddle with my pillows! They're so soft and fluffy. :3  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ Hah! Can't you just imagine how angry he'd look if Dawn really forced him into a pink shirt? :D  
><em>_**PokemasterHAHAHA:**__ Lol! I laughed so hard while I wrote that part because I couldn't get the look on his face out of my head! :D Or, at least what my mind conjured up of his face.  
><em>_**leontinees:**__ Do you really like them that much? I might just incorporate them in towards the end then just for you. :3 And also to make up for always missing the N in your name! Do I really? I'm sorry! I honestly thought that I got it right every single time! I promise not to miss it again! D:  
><em>_**Namcitaable:**__ He is! I've always loved that guy. :) My story and I thanks for you for calling it a marvel!  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Aw! I'm sorry for making you cry! Don't cry! Just keep in mind that he'll get her in the end! :D  
><em>_**Blademon:**__ Thank you so much! You're very sweet. :D  
><em>_**Shadow Lilies:**__ Hehe, hurray for gushing! :D  
><em>_**misspokemonpro:**__ That rainbow cookie was too cute and yummy! Thank you! :D *gobbles it up*  
><em>_**ponyiowa:**__ Hehe, let's read on and see, eh? ;D  
><em>_**Chi-Chiwawa:**__ Haha, aw! I'm sorry, but I love Gary too much to make him a womanizer. :) It's totally fine that you haven't reviewed in a long time though! Just so long as you're still reading my story! Start making up for it now? :D  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ LOLOLOL! Nah, I don't hate you. You made me laugh! :)  
><em>_**Heatherflower:**__ Now that I think of it, the beginning was sad. What is it with me and making my story sad? Tsk tsk. ._. My work and I are flattered that you called it awesome. :)  
><em>_**saratiger:**__ Thank you so much! I hope you really do review every chapter from now on! Reviews like yours make me smile. :D  
><em>_**Under The Elements:**__ I'm confused by your review... ._. But regardless, thank you very much! :D  
><em>_**KK:**__ Did I really? Success! I love reading! Glad that I got you on board! :D  
><em>_**LiteBulb:**__ Thanks :)_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 16<strong>

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><p>The next morning, May arrived right on schedule to check Drew out of the hospital. Since the contest wasn't until another three days, they were able to kick back and relax and explore the city. They had already gotten through all of their training and preparing, so they didn't have to do much at all.<p>

Drew surprised May, though, when he announced over lunch that he would not be participating in the contest.

"What?" she exclaimed, nearly choking on her sandwich. "Why not?"

Drew sniffled and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"How am I supposed to participate with this cold? I thought it would've passed overnight, but it's only gotten worse if anything. I'd rather sit out than sneeze up a storm in the middle of an appeal or something," he told her.

As if on cue, the inside of his nose began to tickle and he quickly grabbed a napkin to sneeze into.

May grimaced at the sight. He did look pretty sick.

"But what about getting a ribbon?" she asked him.

Drew shrugged. "I don't mind if it means helping you."

"Helping me?" she asked, confused. "How would it help me?"

"If I don't participate, you'll have a better chance of winning," he explained, as if it should have been obvious. He put a hand out to stop her from objecting when her mouth opened. "Relax, it's not like I'm going to purposefully be sitting out of every contest just to increase your chances of winning. This just happens to be a coincidence that I don't mind about."

A small, grateful smile graced itself across May's lips as she stared at him.

"Thanks, Drew," she said softly.

Said guy returned her smile with a gentle smirk.

"No problem, just so long as you're happy," he expressed.

"Well, I'm not particularly happy that you have to sit out. I _do_ feel bad," she muttered, blush blooming on her cheeks as she leaned down to take a sip of her seltzer.

Drew had to smile at the adorable sight. Just to tease her, he reached over to tuck the strand of hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear. The touch made her cheeks grow even redder.

"I have to say that color goes very nicely with your eyes," he commented. "I suppose if I'm going to be courting you from now on that I should be showering you with compliments like these every day?"

"Don't," May insisted, embarrassed as she turned her head away so that his fingers were no longer in contact with her cheek. "I don't want to walk around looking like a Tomato berry all the time."

"Oh, so compliments from me make you blush?"

"Compliments _in general_ make me blush."

"Modesty, eh?" he inquired with an amused grin.

May nodded slightly and tore off a piece of her sandwich to pop into her mouth, avoiding his eyes.

Chuckling, he went on, "I find that incredibly attractive in a girl. Most of the girls in my life have always been conceited and full of themselves."

"No surprise there," she muttered with an eye roll. "The identical attract."

"I believe it's _opposites _attract, which is why I'm attracted to you," he retorted.

"Stop it," May groaned, while sitting back from the table.

She felt bad as it was for not returning his feelings; she didn't need his constant compliments to make her feel any worse. And plus, the blush that was burning the apples of her cheeks was embarrassing.

"Fine," Drew droned with an eye roll.

He smirked again when May leaned back in to continue with her breakfast, the blush disappearing from her face. He had to make her blush again, just one more time.

"Hey, May—there's only twenty-one letters in the alphabet, right?" he began.

"No _Andrew_, there's twenty-six," she answered, while looking up at him like he was crazy.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I keep on forgetting 'U, R, A, Q, T'."

"'U, R, A, Q, T'..." May repeated to herself, not quite understanding why he would forget those particular five letters.

The blush returned to her cheeks when she got the meaning, and she fought to suppress the smile that was tugging at the corner if her lips.

"You're so corny!" she exclaimed.

"Maybe, but I made you blush again, so I'm okay with it," Drew asserted, the smirk still present on his face.

With an eye roll, May balled up a napkin and chucked it at him before finishing off her lunch.

He laughed in response at the gesture and went on to finish his own lunch.

After leaving the diner that they had eaten in a few minutes later, they decided to head to the small park located near the north exit of the town, just a little ways from the Pokémon Center. It harbored the rather tranquil atmosphere that seemed to fall upon the entire town. The pleasant sound of the fountain located in the gorgeous botanical garden at the heart of the park resonated throughout the air. In the crystal clear water, many goldeen and seaking were swimming beside one another, giving the fountain some life and color.

"I think I could go for some of the ice cream from that cart we passed," May announced suddenly.

Drew paused beside her on the bridge that lead to the large pagoda at the center of the fountain. He looked at her in disbelief.

"You couldn't've decided that before we entered the park?" he queried, chagrin evident in his voice. "Now, I have to walk all the way back out there to get some for you."

"I wasn't asking you to go get it for me," May claimed, widening her eyes in innocence. "I was going to get it myself."

"No, you stay here—I'll go get it. The last thing I need is for you to wander off by yourself and get lost," Drew muttered with an eye roll.

May rolled her own in response.

"This park isn't all that big, Drew," she pointed out, but he was already walking off of the bridge.

"Yeah, but you'd be the one to make getting lost possible. Just stay here, I'll be right back," he called over his shoulder.

From behind him, he heard May calling for him to get her a chocolate popsicle, so he waved a hand to signal that he heard her as he walked away.

It was a short trip from the fountain to the ice cream vendor, so he was ready to head back in less than five minutes. Thinking that May would never expect for him to return so soon, he decided to take a detour into the forest so that he could surprise her from behind. However, the small twigs and fallen acorns that crunched beneath his shoes with every step made it almost impossible for him to silently creep up on her. Realizing this, he decided to give up on the sneak attack, and left the forest.

Just when he almost stepped out of the concealment of the trees, a powerful floral scent drew him back in. It led him even deeper into the forest, to the point where the sound of the fountain faded away entirely into silence. A couple of steps later, the source of the scent came into view. He nearly dropped the ice cream in his hand when he saw what it was.

"I've got to show May," he muttered to himself, and began to walk back to the fountain.

His feet slowed to a halt when he heard the shrill sound of a toddler's cry coming from the fountain. Stepping closer, he was able to get a good look of what was happening from behind tree.

"Aw, don't cry, sweetie," May cooed, while crouching down so that she was level with the little boy standing in front of her.

The toddler had his arm thrown over his eyes as he cried over the pain in his knee. A scrape was prominent from where he had skinned his knee from falling. He had been running up and down the bridge with his friends in a playful game of Tag, when he accidentally tripped over one of his shoelaces. As a result, he wound up with a scratched knee that stung with even the slightest movement of his leg.

"It hurts," he sobbed, tears trickling down his cheeks and leaving darkened spots on his yellow shirt.

"But if you keep crying, how are you going to have fun?" May asked him, hoping that the question would distract him from the pain as she placed a band-aid over his knee. "There. Is that better?"

The little boy nodded with a giggle as he pulled his arm away to look down at the dunsparce-shaped band-aid.

May smiled at him.

"Good boy," she said.

She watched as he extended his leg out and gave it a jiggle before thrusting his fist into the air.

"Squirtle! Aqua Jet! Go!" he exclaimed and then went off, leaving May blinking in surprise.

Drew smirked to himself as he approached her. Watching the entire encounter had made him that much more sure of his feelings for the brunette. She was just so loving, it was adorable.

"Sorry, were you waiting long?" he asked once he got close enough to her.

May's head snapped around to glare at him after recognizing his voice. She stood and began to approach him angrily.

"'_Waiting long_?' Of course I was waiting long!" she exclaimed. "Who takes _ten_ minutes to get ice cream? The vendor wasn't even that far from here to begin wi—"

Time seemed to have slowed when May was cut off as she stepped on an empty soda pop bottle. It slid forward from under her foot, causing her to lose her balance and fall right on her knee, thus leaving a scratch that was even larger than the one of the little boy from earlier. It took her a moment to register the pain that jolted throughout her entire leg as it buckled beneath her and left her sitting on her calves.

"Ow!" she cried when she did. "My knee! It hurts! It hurts!"

Drew struggled to refrain from laughing as he watched her cry. It had only just been a moment ago that she had comforted a little boy. Now, she was crying just as hard as he had. A young woman of eighteen crying like a toddler, who couldn't have been any older than four or five...it was just too good.

"If you keep crying, how will you have fun?" he recited with an amused smirk.

May ceased her crying to look up at him through half-lidded eyes.

"You were watching," she accused him.

But he didn't confirm it. Instead, he extended his hand down to her.

"Want help up?" he asked.

"No thanks," she grumbled and stood up quickly on her own. She winced as the skin over her knee folded, but she didn't cry.

Drew smirked at her again. "Good girl."

"Hey," she droned warningly.

Drew simply stared at her with the amused smirk still on his face, waiting for something unknown.

"Well, aren't you going to do it, too?" he eventually asked.

"Do what?" she inquired, an eyebrow cocked.

"Squirtle! Aqua Je—"

"Shut up!" she barked, blushing burning away at her cheeks, while she steamed on the inside.

Spotting her ice cream, she snatched it out of his hand and tore off the wrapper before gobbling down the almost-melted chocolate popsicle.

Drew chuckled and followed her to the trash can on the other side of the fountain. He took her wrist when she turned around. She eyed him questioningly.

"I have something to show you," he told her. "Come on."

"Why are you taking me into the forest?" she asked when he began to tow her in the direction of the trees.

"You'll see," Drew insisted. "Close your eyes."

"Why should I?"

"Because I told you so, so just do it," he groaned with an eye roll. Why did she have to question everything like a small child?

With a disgruntled grunt, May obliged. Trusting Drew not to do anything to her, she shut her eyes and allowed him to lead her into the forest. They walked for a while, slowly making her grow impatient. She was just about to open her mouth, when suddenly, a strong floral scent filled her nose.

"What's that smell?" she asked him, while sniffing the air at the same time.

Drew smiled even though she couldn't see him.

"You'll see a moment. Just keep your eyes closed," he instructed, and lead her to walk the last couple of steps that took them both out of the forest. "Okay. You can open your eyes now."

May's eyelids gave way to reveal her eyes, returning her vision and allowing her to take in the beautiful sight before her. She could hardly believe what she was seeing and smelling.

"Roses?" she inquired, turning to him with a pleasantly surprised smile spread across her lips.

Drew nodded, smiling back at her while giving her wrist an affectionate squeeze.

"I decided that I'm going to be giving you a rose every day from now on. So, these are to make up for the past couple of months where I didn't," he declared.

"But these aren't yours to give," May laughed.

"They aren't, but this one is," he said, and then, as if by magic, pulled a perfect red rose out of his pocket and handed it to her.

He let go of the hold around her wrist so that she could hold and stroke the rose with both of her hands. The velvet soft petals felt dewy and smooth beneath her touch. The stem had even been rid of all its thorns so it was just one straight, undisturbed trip down for her fingers. Her expression grew soft at the flower as she gave it a twirl.

"Thank you," she said, looking up to meet his eyes.

Drew merely shrugged and smiled at her before turning to scan the field of roses. Even though they were beautiful, none of them could compete with the rose that he had given May from his roserade. However, it was still a dazzling sight to see the sun begin to set behind the field. The soft mixture of oranges and reds went well with the scarlet flowers.

"We should camp out here tonight," he suddenly suggested.

"Here?" May repeated with her eyebrows furrowing skeptically. "Are we allowed to do that?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" he challenged.

"But what about your cold?"

He shrugged and took her wrist again.

"It's no big deal," he insisted. "Let's go get our tents."

Smiling, May let him lead her through the forest, out of the park, and back to the Pokémon Center. There, they grabbed their tents and sleeping bags, and started back to the rose field. After setting up the campsite, they started up a fire so that they could see in the dark and warm themselves up. The flames instantly gave the area a settle glow that accentuated the beauty of the roses and gave the atmosphere a very cozy feel.

"Isn't this so romantic?" Drew joked, while looking over at May.

He felt something catch in his throat at the sight of her. He found it ridiculous how any girl could manage to look so gorgeous just sitting by a fire on a sleeping bag. Or maybe it was just his feelings toward her that made her look exceptionally beautiful.

He nearly stopped breathing when she turned her angelic eyes over in his direction. Even if they were half-lidded because she didn't approve of his joke, they still managed to make his heart flutter. Arceus, she was so beautiful.

"I don't find anything romantic about it, but it does feel nice," she admitted.

"Glad you agree with me," Drew breathed, while settling into his sleeping bag. By lying down on his back, he was able to gaze up at the night sky without having to crane his neck.

The milky black canvas was specked with tiny white stars, like diamonds against a bed of velvet. Drew had always loved looking up at the sky when it looked the way that it currently did, even as a kid. He still remembered how he used to sit out on the back porch with his parents on random nights back in LaRousse City, just to stargaze. There was always some calming feeling that washed over him every time.

Folding his arms beneath his head, that same feeling returned, and he suddenlygrew sleepy.

"Hey, May," he murmured, with his eyelids drooping. "Remember when you said you owe me something for saving Lillipup? I know what I want now."

May eyed him warily. She feared that he would ask her to kiss him, or something worse.

"What do you want?" she asked after a moment of hesitation.

She was confused when he instructed her to pull her sleeping bag over to place beside his and to lay down on it. When his arms went around her, she finally understood his meaning. Blush found its way across her cheeks for the umpteenth time that day.

"Just stay like this with me for one night," he requested, his sleepy voice so soft that May had to glance up to read his lips in order to understand his speech. "Don't go anywhere for tonight."

After yawning and wishing her good night, he shut his eyes and settled to sleep.

May stayed awake for some time long after Drew drifted off, not quite knowing whether or not to gently push away from him, or to just stay put. It felt awkward falling asleep in a guy's arms if the guy wasn't Gary.

She had fallen asleep in the brunet's arms before in the past when they were camping out in the woods (much like the way she and Drew were), so she knew what it felt like. She remembered how hard her heart had pounded in her chest and how much her cheeks had burned while she snuggled into his side. She remembered how much she had enjoyed that night's sleep and how hard she had smiled to the point where she had woken up to sore cheeks.

Now, as she lay in Drew's arms, she didn't know how she felt. Her heart was pounding and her cheeks were burning, but it felt different from how her heart had pounded and cheeks had burned that night with Gary. And she wasn't smiling nor was she was enjoying it. At least, she didn't think she was enjoying it. She didn't know if her blush and pounding heart meant that she returned Drew's feelings for her or not.

All she knew was that she was feeling a combination of things: guilt for being in Drew's arms, confusion over her feelings for Drew, discomfort for keeping her head hovered over his chest, and indecision between whether or not to push away from Drew or to fall asleep in his arms.

She thought long and hard for a while, but wound up coming up empty in the end. She did, however, end up placing her head on his chest after her neck began to torture her for keeping her head up for too long. Even though she had yet to come to a conclusion about everything, she could decide that she just didn't have the heart to disappoint him by pushing him away. She did owe him for saving Lillipup, after all.

So, instead of pushing him away, she settled into his side and fell asleep under the blanket of stars.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> For those of you who got Drew's corny little joke at the beginning of the chapter, I'm giving you all a cookie. For those who didn't, it's okay, I'm giving you guys one, too! Hehe, anyways, here's the joke if you guys didn't get it: Drew said that he kept forgetting five letters of the alphabet which were U, R, A, Q, T. If you read it correctly, you'll see that U, R, A, Q, T is actually a compliment in disguise: you are a cutie. Get it? Huh huh? Do you get it? Corny, eh? A guy in my class said it to me last week and I almost _died. _Haha, I just _had_ to include it! Please review for the corny joke! :D

P.S. I was picturing a Japanese botanical garden and fountain when I wrote about the one in the park. They're just so beautiful and majestic looking, don't you think? I love them so much. :)


	17. Catching Fire

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>Here's more proof of my love of the <em>Hunger Games<em> trilogy by Suzanne Collins...I named the chapter after the second book (**no copyright intended**!). Yes, I have a slightly unhealthy obsession with it, but hey, it's good and suspenseful literature. Can't blame me, eh? Go read it before the movie comes out in March if you haven't already. As for why this chapter is called "Catching Fire", read on to find out. So, happy reading and please review. :)

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>Pear-Shaped:<strong>__ Haha! I'm happy that you wanted this update to go faster. I hope your first day of high school and the rest of your high school years go by smoothly. :)  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ OHMYGOSH! I absolutely_ died_ when I read that! I remember hearing that before, but actually reading just made it so much funnier. I'll be sure to try and incorporate it into my story sometime in the future. Thanks for the suggestion :)  
><em>_**KK:**__ Haha, it wasn't creepy. I found it funny actually, so no creepiness taken. :)  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Did it really? I'm glad that I was able to perk you up! :D  
><em>_**ginika:**__ Lol! I literally had to sit still and think that line over for a moment when I first heard it before I actually got what it meant! And hah, he's still a jerk. I like the jerk side of him, too, so he's going to have some jerk moments in this story. :) Keep on rambling all you'd like! I like when my reviewers ramble so we have more to talk about. I like communicating with you guys, ya know? :D  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Thank you, thank you, thank you! And yes! Cookies for everyone! :D  
><em>_**saratiger:**__ Yeah, I adore Gary. Him and Drew are probably my favorite characters in the entire_ Pokémon _anime! :D  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ Lol, aw! I love corny jokes! :D  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! I feel bad for your little brother! HAHAHAHA! That's just too funny :D  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Same here, I love roses! But orchids are my favorite flowers. Especially the white ones, they're so beautiful! Unfortunately I can never seem to keep them alive... :(Anyways, thank you so much!_ You're _the best! :D  
><em>_**Blademon:**__ I really wish I did now, but unfortunately, it's the summertime for them so Valentine's Day has long been over. Sorry :( But thank you so much! You're so sweet! :)  
><em>_**leontinees:**__ It's not that I don't fancy the pairing, it's just that I've always considered Leaf as a character in the games so I've never really gave her much mind. How about I just insert a cameo for her then? :) But I'm so sorry about that! I always thought that I put that N in there, but I didn't! Sorry! D: Thanks for not flipping on me! :D  
>Just wondering, are you British by any chance? I've always thought that only British people use "fancy" as a verb. I'll be so jealous if you are and if you live anywhere in England; I absolutely love that country to bits. I'd really like to visit there someday. :P<br>__**Chi-Chiwawa:**__ Lol! Thanks very much! :D And yes! May's not going to fall for him _that_ quickly! Where would the fun be in that? The guy's hott, but he's not magically capable of making people fall for him in an instant. ;D  
><em>_**LAPKat:**__ Lol, you made me blush. He wasn't flirting! ;P Anyways, I hope you liked that cookie and here's me throwing two pillows back at you! *throws two pillows* hehehehe ;D P.S. Your name wasn't long (and still isn't) but I'll call you LAPKat from now on if you want me, too. :)  
><em>_**light-chiix3:**__ Hehe, thank you very much. :D  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies:**__ Lol! :D  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Thanks ;D  
><em>_**light-chiix3:**__ It's a very good book! Be sure to read it! I must've read it like ten times already! :D Lol! Thank you so much for all you said in your reviews! And thank you for staying true to your words! :D You may have FIVE cookies for doing that and for understanding the joke even if you did it at the end. ;D Thank you for reading and reviewing!  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Feel free! You may go ahead and borrow it if you'd like! :D And of course I'd keep the roses! It's always been Drew's signature and will forever be his signature in my stories. :D  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ LOL! It's too early for a kiss! Maybe sometime soon? ;D_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 17<strong>

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><p>Sleep for both Drew and May had gotten very comfortable for them overnight, despite May's previous discomfort. Even if the night air had gotten chilly, she was still able to sleep soundly with the heat that came from Drew's body.<p>

However, at some time or another throughout the night, he still had to drape a blanket over himself and May to block out the cold and retain warmth. The fire had long been extinguished at that point after the logs of wood had been burned away to ashes, so it was necessary.

He was surprised to see how heavy a sleeper May was, though. Even when he had to place her on the ground to retrieve the blanket, she didn't wake. Even when he took her back into his arms, she still didn't wake. As a matter of fact, he was the first one up between the two of them. To his dismay, he woke with a headache.

"May," he whispered, gently jostling her despite the ache in his muscles.

He hated to have to do it, but he didn't want her to have to miss lunch after missing breakfast. If there was anything the girl loved to do more than coordinating, it would be eating. Sometimes he wondered how she managed to stay so skinny.

But Arceus, did she look beautiful in her sleep.

"May," he whispered a little louder than before. "Wake up. It's already afternoon. We need to get up."

The brunette groaned a little before she opened her eyes slightly. When the light blinded her, she groaned again and turned her head to bury her face into Drew's chest. She flinched away a second later as if his body was made of molten lava.

Drew chuckled. "What? Is my hotness too much for you to handle?"

May sat up immediately, putting as much distance between them as their sleeping bags allowed, while she scowled at him for his arrogance.

"As conceited as that is, it's true," she admitted with a scowl. "But I'm not saying that because I think you're good-looking. You're literally hot because you're burning up."

It was Drew's turn to scowl when she said the words to him. As if he didn't believe her, he put a hand to his own forehead to check his temperature. To his surprise, the heat under his palm was above normal.

"Oh, I _am_ burning up," he accepted, slightly shocked.

"Yeah, it's like you caught fire and trapped it inside of you or something."

"I _am_ pretty hot," he noted.

May rolled her eyes at this, knowing very well that he was referring to his looks rather than his body temperature.

"In terms of body temperature, yes. Looks, no," she told him while reaching over for the blanket that was still draped over their legs.

"You're seriously wounding my ego."

"Good. It needs a little deflating," May retorted, standing up and stepping off the sleeping bags as she tucked the newly folded blanket under her arm. "Now, get up off the sleeping bags so we can pack up and head back to the Pokémon Center."

Drew obeyed May's command while muttering curses underneath his breath, but it wasn't because of her insults (he was used to them at that point), it was because of the sudden rush to his head after he stood up. The world felt as if it were spinning and his vision blurred and blacked out in some areas. He had almost fallen over, but he was able to regain his balance in time.

May eyed him with concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked hesitantly, coming up to his side and placing her hand on his arm lightly.

The touch alone was able to make Drew regain his vision. He turned to her to see the worried expression on her face. He smiled lightly before patting her hand reassuringly.

"I'm fine. I just stood up too fast, that's all," he insisted.

May didn't seem too convinced.

"Are you sure?" she catechized.

"Yeah, unless you'd like to share some of this cold with me to make me feel better?"

"How do you _share_ a cold?"

"Like this."

Without another second's warning, Drew began to lean into May while keeping his hand firmly on hers, preventing her from moving away. She eyed him with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, unsure of his intentions. It wasn't until he began to close his eyes that she realized what he was doing.

He was leaning in to kiss her.

"Uh, I think I'll pass," she blurted, pulling away and putting at least five feet worth of distance between them.

Disappointment washed over Drew, but he made a joke out of the situation by raising his hands up in a mock gesture of surrender.

"Hey, sharing is caring, right?" he offered lightheartedly with a playfully devious smirk.

May simply rolled her eyes and turned away to hide her blush.

Shortly after their almost-kiss, Drew and May headed into the forest and away from the rose field after they packed up their campsite. A fresh red rose was clutched in her hand, a gift from Drew and proof that he was staying true to his words of giving her a rose every day. As romantic as it was, she really wished he wouldn't. It made her feel guilty for not returning his affections for her.

And what was that back at the rose field? He had almost kissed her! Thank Arceus she had pulled away in time, otherwise she would have practically betrayed her feelings for Gary. She needed to keep in mind that she liked Gary.

_Gary, Gary,_ _Gary_,_ Gary_...she kept repeating over and over in her head to reiterate the reminder that it was Gary Oak whom she liked, not Andrew Hayden. _Gary, not Drew. Gary, not Drew. Gary, not_...

"Hey May, check it out," Drew suddenly whispered.

May watched him with bemusement as he began to crouch down with every slow and silent step that he took. He waved her over, while gesturing for her to keep quiet with a finger over his mouth. Deciding to go with it, she crept up to a large bush beside him and peered into the small break in the leaves. The first thing she saw in the distance was a small growlithe.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered delightedly in surprise. "It's a growlithe!"

"Sure is—I'm going to catch it. Stay here," Drew declared.

He started to make his way around the bush, causing Growlithe's head to snap up.

May reached out to stop him, but it wasn't because she was afraid he would scare the pokémon off.

"Why do you get to catch it?" she demanded, her voice a hiss. "Why can't I catch it?"

"Because you already have a fire type!" Drew shot back, his voice as much of a hiss as hers.

"So what? Maybe I'll want to be a fire type coordinator someday!"

"There's no such thing!"

"Yes there is!"

"Name one fire type coordinator then!"

"May Maple!" she said assuredly.

"You're not a fire type coordinator if you only have one fire-type!" he insisted.

"Exactly! This is why I need to catch Growlithe!"

"You—hey, where'd Growlithe go?"

Caught up in all of their bickering, they hadn't noticed that _Growlithe_ had noticed _them_. It was no longer in sight anymore, having vanished faster than the blink of an eye. They almost engaged in another argument over who was to blame for losing Growlithe, until a growl came from behind them.

Snapping their heads around reflexively, they were amazed to find the very same growlithe crouching behind them. Only now, it was beside a vulpix, who was also crouching in the same menacing position as its counterpart. Or rather, the most menacing position as pokémon of their cuteness could manage.

The two pokémon growled.

"Perfect. Now you can get Vulpix and I'll get Growlithe," Drew said, standing up slowly so as not to scare off the pokémon, particularly the growlithe.

The fire type canine pokémon was the perfect addition to his team. Not only would it be his first fire type, but it would also evolve into a fast and powerful pokémon one day if he ever got his hands on a Fire Stone. A pokémon with such finesse as an arcanine would surely do him wonders in contest appeals and battles. He had to have Growlithe.

"That's fine—I was thinking just that," May agreed, while mimicking his actions.

She kept her eyes fixed on the vulpix, whose pupil-less olive-colored eyes glared back at her.

The fire type pokémon was right up her alley. It was adorable, it was beautiful, and it would one day evolve into a gorgeous ninetales, one of her favorite pokémon of all time, if she could find a Fire Stone to expose it to. It would be great if she could capture it.

Just then, the two pokémon darted off in opposite directions. Drew and May instantly gave chase, running off in separate directions in the woods. Drew made sure to call over his shoulder for May to meet him back at the Pokémon Center. His legs kicked off faster after Growlithe when he heard her confirm that she heard him.

Keeping up with the small pokémon was extremely difficult for him, considering the fact that he was still suffering from a fever and headache. He felt dizzy and exhausted, and his legs were already aching, but he persisted.

Halfway into the chase, he realized that Growlithe was running back in the direction of the rose field by the long way. Knowing a shortcut to the field, he took a chance and made a right turn, losing sight of Growlithe but ending up in the field within a minute. He was right in front of Growlithe when the pokémon charged into the field. It skid to a stop in its shock.

Drew smirked at it.

"Nowhere to run Growlithe," he told it, and took the PokéBall containing Roserade out of his jacket pocket.

Enlarging it, he stepped back to provide enough space for the battle that was sure to commence.

Growlithe firmed its stature and readied itself for the rose pokémon that materialized before Drew. Roserade didn't even have time to receive a command from its trainer before Growlithe launched a Flamethrower at it, which it easily dodged.

Drew nodded in approval. He liked a pokémon who knew how to think fast and act even faster.

"Roserade, Magical Leaf!" he commanded.

Leaves in an array of colors fired out from Roserade's roses, cutting through the air in a linear path toward Growlithe. It opened its mouth again to exhale another Flamethrower that burned away many of the leaves before they could even get close to it. The ones that did, it simply dodged by using Agility, running toward Roserade with amazing speed.

Once it got close enough, it exhaled a fiery Heat Wave attack that Roserade narrowly managed to avoid. It followed up with a surprising flying type attack, Aerial Ace, that was actually quick enough to come in contact with Roserade.

Enraged, the grass type pokémon punched the fire type in the face with a Poison Jab attack.

Growlithe merely shook it off.

Drew could hardly believe the battle that he was witnessing between his roserade and the growlithe. The amount of fire power that the little pokémon had was remarkable. Even after suffering blow after blow by Roserade—each more powerful than the previous—it was still holding up well, showing that its endurance level was high and its will to fight was strong.

Everything about it met Drew's expectations: its speed, its accuracy, its variety of attacks, its looks, and more. He just had to have it, no questions asked. Paying closer attention, he gave out commands for his roserade to obey in order to weaken Growlithe, and waited for the perfect time to call out the finishing blow.

When the time came, he called it.

"Energy Ball!"

A dark green orb surrounded by an electrifying white exterior shot forward from one of Roserade's roses. It soared through the air and came in contact with Growlithe's chest before the pokémon could even blink.

It had been caught off guard since it had been recovering from one of Roserade's Petal Dance attacks, so it couldn't think to dodge. The attack hit it with a great impact, making it let out a cry of pain before it fell to the ground.

Drew and Roserade watched it as it struggled to push itself back up on its paws, wincing as the strength it was exerting made its body hurt even more, but it was no use. After pushing for what seemed to be the longest time in its life, it succumbed to the pain and fell back onto the ground, unable to fight any longer.

And when Drew sent the PokéBall flying through the air, it didn't even fight as the red flash engulfed it and claimed it as the newest member to its new trainer's team.

* * *

><p>"Lillipup, Shadow Ball!"<p>

Vulpix leapt into the air at the sight of the black and purple orb, and easily smacked it out of the way with an Iron Tail attack, sending it flying back to Lillipup.

After seeing that the ghost type attack had no effect on Lillipup, the vulpix angrily shot a spiraling Fire Spin from its mouth toward its opponent. However, since it was already so weakened by all of Lillipup's previous attacks, the flames had less power and were easily dodged by Lillipup.

"Good job, Lillipup. Now, Take Down!" May commanded.

She watched as her pokémon charged forward, its once cherubic face fixed into a rather serious and determined expression. It slammed into Vulpix, who had retaliated by using Quick Attack. Their two heads bashed into one another, sending each other flying back in the direction that they had come.

Taking the time that Vulpix used to shake off the pain from the impact, May called for the final attack.

"Lillipup, Shadow Ball again!"

Lillipup sent another massive orb of intermingling hues of purple and black like a cannon at Vulpix.

Hearing the _whoosh _sound of the attack, Vulpix looked up and spat out a huge wad of flames, a Flame Burst attack, to counter.

When the two attacks met at the middle of the field, an eruption of smoke mushroomed into the air, temporarily leaving both sides blind. Using that time, May threw the empty PokéBall in her hand in the direction that she had last seen Vulpix. She waited anxiously before and after the smoke cleared away, hoping that Vulpix hadn't run off.

On the ground a couple of feet in front of her after the smoke cleared, the PokéBall she had thrown was revealed to be wiggling, and the button at the equator, marked by the black stripe, was glowing red. Seconds ticked by—feeling as long as hours—while May watched it do so.

To her utter joy and relief, the sphere stopped wiggling and the button stopped glowing red a minute later, announcing her successful capture of her latest pokémon, Vulpix. She hurried forward and took the PokéBall into her hand, moving it around as if she expected it to disappear at any second. After seeing that it didn't, she smiled and praised her Lillipup, returning it into its PokéBall and heading back to the Pokémon Center.

Drew was already sitting on a couch in the lobby, waiting for her. When she saw his eyes dart in her direction after she entered the building, she wiggled the PokéBall containing her new vulpix in her hand and grinned triumphantly.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Ahhh, two of my favorite fire-type pokémon ever. Do you know why this chapter is called "Catching Fire" now? You should. :) Sorry you didn't get to read much of Lillipup in action. You'll be able to in the next chapter because it's when the contest starts. Yay! :D Hope you enjoyed, please review!


	18. Lavender Appeals

**Update April 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>Thank you to all of my readers and reviewers! I officially reached over 300 reviews! Thanks so much! You all put the biggest smile on my face ever! :D I'm going to keep writing for you guys and update every Saturday as promised! Happy reading everyone, please review as usual! The contest starts in this chapter! Yay!<p>

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>musiclover99:<strong>__ I have to agree with you on that one. I loved it! Did you like _Mockingjay_ though? I felt that book was a little boring to be honest. :\ I never knew that Staraptor could use Heat Wave! I might have to incorporate that into this contest! That's actually a really cool mental image! :D  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies:**__ I love Ninetales! It's so beautiful! :)  
><em>_**Itssupereffective:**__ I've never given Advanceshipping much thought actually. I may have to check out some Advanceshipping fanfics. :) But thank you very much for saying what you said about my story! The _Hunger Games is_ amazing!  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Lol, hi there! Thank you very much for your four reviews! Feel free to keep being forgetful haha ;D  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Haha, same to both!  
><em>_**KK:**__ Haha, thanks!  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ Thank you so much! I'm flattered that you think I have a talent for writing. :D  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ No way! You're like_ the_ best! Psh, don't try to beat me! :D Thanks!  
><em>**_Fprmr1:_**_ Lol, I considered making them a couple. Maybe I will? Maybe they'll play a part in getting May and Drew together? ;) Anyways, to answer you questions. First question: Vulpix wandered away from Growlithe for a second, so it ended up behind Drew and May. Second question: I freakin' love the _Hunger Games_ with a blazing passion! Third question: I've been Peeta/Katniss since the beginning. I love Peeta so much! He's such a sweetheart! And it's fine! Lol, I had fun being interrogated! :D  
><em>_**LAPKat:**__ HAHAHAH! Mr. Hothead! That reminds me so much of Mr. Rose! I'll have to have May call him that sometime soon! ;D  
><em>_**Chi-Chiwawa:**__ May's not going to be wearing a dress to the contest, but she will be to the after party. And Harley's not going to be making a cameo until sometime later in the story. :) And he won't be gay lol! xD As for your math...I'm not good at math so I have no idea how you got that. O_O  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ Lol, I don't get on facebook so much anymore either. :p My personal favorite fire-type would have to be Typhlosion. It's so cool-looking! xD Then it'd have to be Rapidash or Flareon. Can't decide :3 Good luck with the third book! I actually had a hard time finishing it. I wish the author would've written it differently. :\  
><em>_**leontinees:**__ You live in Spain? I'm even more jealous now! I love Spain! It's such a beautiful country! :O And I want to include a cameo Leaf, don't you worry. :)  
><em>_**LuvPeaceCandy: **__Lol! I'm continuing! :D  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ I hated Brianna. Simply said and done. She annoyed me so much. _ Thanks for all of your compliments. I absolutely love all the pokémon that you listed, by the way. Especially Empoleon and Luxray :D  
><em>_**OffMyTea:**__ Hehe, don't keel me! I updated! xD  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Haha! I think you accidentally swapped the 'o' in 'love' for the 'i' in 'quite' and vice versa. xD Thanks for reading!  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ Why do you hate Vulpix? It's so cute! :O And I'm so happy that you share my love for the _Hunger Games_! I swear, I'm so obsessed with the series, it's not even funny! :P  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Lol, the first part of your review was funny. :) Sorry that I can't update sooner as you always request, but I just don't have time to do so. At least I'm updating on a consistent, weekly schedule, right? :P  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ I have to agree with your username, oranges are so good! Thank you very much for your reviews! You get a bag of cookies! :D  
><em>_**ginika:**__ Hey, Gary's pretty hott, too. I'd have difficulty choosing between him and Drew, too. xD Sorry about shortening May's battle. I was going to make it longer, but I figured since she's going to be participating in the contest in this chapter and the next that it'd be fine. :P Saturday's here, so read and make sure to review please! :)  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Thanks! :D  
><em>_**BeautiflyxMasquerainFTW:**__ They look a lot more feminine than growlithes do. I've always had difficulty accepting the fact that there are male vulpixes, too. :P I might just make the two of them a couple and Beautifly and Masquerain, too. Since they just so happen to belong to Drew and May, too. xD_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 18<strong>

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><p>There was an audible thumping on the door of May's room in the Pokémon Center when she left the bathroom. Her hair was still damp, gathered over one of her shoulders as she slipped her arms through a terry cloth robe. Tying the sash around her waist, she dragged her feet across the brown carpet of the room and went to the door.<p>

Blush rose up her neck to her face when she saw Drew standing in the doorway.

Drew himself displayed a drastic change of expression when his scowl transitioned to an embarrassed, wide-eyed look. He nearly dropped the two bags in his arms.

"Er, sorry, I didn't know you were...showering," he apologized, while giving an awkward cough and diverting his gaze to the ground.

Unfortunately, that only gave him a clear view of her bare legs poking out from the robe, which barely grazed her knees. He struggled to not think about what else was lying beneath the terry cloth material, but it was extremely difficult. Dirty, perverted thoughts were already fighting to invade his mind.

May immediately pulled the two sides of her robe closer together around her neck to cover up her exposed collarbone.

"It's fine. What's up?" she asked to distract him from the fact that she was practically naked. Though she had to admit, he was being very civil about the whole the situation.

"I just wanted to come wake you in case you hadn't woken already. The contest is in two hours, after all," he explained, the red fading from his cheeks. "Are you going to let me in?"

"What's in the bags?" May asked before letting him in, like an officer interrogating a criminal suspect.

Drew rolled his eyes and stepped into the room, not bothering to wait for May's approval.

"Your brain," he retorted as he shut the door behind him with his foot.

May glared at the back of his head in return.

"That was uncalled for," she growled.

"If you had one, you would've opened the door for me."

"Well, my apologies, _your__ highness._ I haven't quite mastered the art of creating clones of myself so that one can open the door for you while I'm _in the shower_!"

"Whatever," Drew muttered with another eye roll, ignoring her remark. He made his way over to the bed and sat down, placing the two bags beside him as he did so.

May followed suit, walking over to peer into one of the bags that had a delicious scent wafting from it. Inside lay a rectangular styrofoam container with a clear lid over the hearty breakfast that it contained. Outside of the container were the utensils and a cup of juice.

May blinked at the contents in surprise.

"Oh, you brought me breakfast," she mused. Then, she reached into the other bag to discover the contents. Her eyebrows furrowed when she pulled out a torchic plushie with no face. "What's this?"

"I figured you may need it. I heard from the shop owner that it appears to take on the same facial expression as you when you look at it. Basically, you frown, it frowns. You smile, it smiles," Drew explained.

May's eyebrows remained furrowed, while she tried to make sense of his words. She began to move the plushie around in her hands, studying the stuffed pokémon, until Drew reached up to put a hand around her wrist to stop her.

"Look," he said and waited until she met his eyes. He met hers with an intense gaze to emphasize his next words. "Since you already know now that I like you, I have nothing more to hide. I promise that I'm going to be doing all that I can to make you happy now until whenever you decide that you don't want me around anymore." He paused to give her a second to take in his blunt declaration. "So, I hope that from now on, whenever you look at it, it'll be smiling at you."

May remained silent after Drew finished talking as her eyes darted from his to the plushie's nonexistent face. She didn't know what to say back to him. _Thank you_? _Gee, that's so nice of you_? Or, A_s sweet as this is, I still don't feel the same way_?

For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to say any of those words. None of them seemed right to say. _Thank you_ just didn't seem to be enough for his declaration. _Gee, that's so nice of you_ was much too sarcastic and joking to be fitted for the situation. And _as sweet as this is, I still don't feel the same way_ just sounded much too harsh and rude, even in her own head. Silence was the only thing that suited.

"I think this is the part where you're supposed to hug me," Drew deadpanned when he figured that she wouldn't be saying anything soon.

May couldn't help but laugh at his blunt statement. Without another word, she sat on the bed and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug just like she had on the night before they left on the ferry. Like the night that Brendan had confessed to her.

But as of that moment, the sudden recollection of the memory didn't conjure sadness for her because she actually found a reason to be happy. As of that moment, she was able to forget everything as she held onto Drew and he held her back. She felt comforted with the thought that she would at least have him by her side whenever sadness came to her. He would be there to cheer her up and help her through her troubles. He would be there until she didn't want him around anymore. Him and the plushie.

"Well, I should probably let you get ready and eat your breakfast," Drew decided after he felt the hug was getting too long for May's comfort.

In all honesty, he didn't think the hug had lasted long enough for his liking. He could have held onto her for the rest of the day, but if he hugged her any longer, he would delay her breakfast and trip to the contest.

"Should I meet you back here and escort you or should I just go straight to the Contest Building?" he asked.

"Just go straight to the building. I can get there on my own," May insisted.

"Alright, I'll see you later then," Drew said, standing up from the bed and heading for the door. He stopped when he remembered something. "Hey May? If someone knocks on your door again, be sure to put on some clothes first before you open it, alright? I don't want anyone else seeing you in all of your naked glory."

"I'm not fully naked, you jerk—I'm covered," May pointed out as she crossed her arms over her chest.

She glared at Drew when he turned around to smirk at her. There was a naughty glint in his eyes that told her she wasn't going to like what was going to come out of his mouth next.

"I don't want anyone seeing you naked either. Save that for me."

May's jaw felt as if it disconnected from her skull when her mouth dropped open, her eyes practically bugging out of their sockets. The gentleman Drew practically just jumped out of the window as the pervert took his place.

The look was so funny that Drew almost busted out laughing before she threw the plushie at him with as much force as she could muster. He simply caught it and threw it on the bed, far out of her reach in case she decided to throw it again.

"You know, if I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd definitely put 'U' and 'I' together. We're both very violent people," he joked, just to yank her chain again.

"Oh really? Because I'd put 'F' and 'U' together instead," May shot back, still glaring angrily.

"I don't think it's wise to be saying that to a guy, especially when you're standing in the same room as him with nothing but a robe on."

Drew let out a hearty laugh and hurried to disappear through the door when he saw her reaching for a pillow.

After he disappeared, May huffed and plopped herself down on her elbow on the bed. Shaking her head, she reached for the bag that contained her breakfast and took out the contents to begin to eat.

"Good luck today, by the way. I'll be rooting for you in the crowd," Drew's voice suddenly piped from the door.

May snapped her head up to find that the guy had poked his head back into the room. When he saw her turn, he offered her a cheeky smile, tossed her her daily red rose, and waved goodbye before taking his leave.

May chuckled to herself as she caught the rose.

"The annoying grasshead," she muttered to herself as she turned around to reach for the plushie.

She held it up along with the rose so that she could look at it, smiling at it to see if Drew was lying or not.

To her amusement, its blank face reflected the same smile on her face right back at her.

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><p>"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Lavender Town Contest!" Lilian Meridian, the contest announcer, exclaimed into the microphone that she clutched in her hand. "I hope you all got your sleep last night because you won't want to miss a wink of today's show! We have a total of sixteen coordinators assembled here today to show you what they've got. Get ready for some exciting performances, folks!<p>

"Now, please help me welcome the very first of the sixteen coordinators, Alec Joseph from the Unova region! Come on out here, Alec!"

May watched the action from a wall-mount television in the back room as the coordinator named Alec headed onto the stage. The crowd roared in excitement upon seeing him—the girls in particular—so May assumed that he was a pretty popular coordinator. She understood why when the screen jumped to a shot of his face.

His dark brown hair was tousled into the perfect messy 'do, with one lone strand hanging in front of his forehead. The confident, slightly cocky smile on his face was dazzling, while his brilliant blue eyes were twinkling with a naughty glint against his fair skin. May had to admit he was pretty cute.

The samurott that he released was quite attractive, too. It was a quadruped water type pokémon with long, white bushy whiskers extending from its snout and head. A large, rounded gold shell with spikes acted as a helmet, and a long horn protruded from the area over its forehead. The same gold-colored armor encased its legs to give it a very warrior-like appearance. It roared mightily to make an impression.

"Oh my, a samurott! Talk about a rare pokémon! This water type's exclusive only to the Unova region, folks, so take a good look!" Lilian gushed.

Alec smirked at the remark, making the female audience shriek and swoon.

"Samurott, use Scald!" he commanded.

Samurott immediately conjured an enormous orb of steaming hot water in the air above. Next, it continued its appeal with a Grass Knot. A long blade of grass appeared out of the bottom of the orb and snaked its way upward, where it tied into a knot at the north pole before it snaked back to the bottom.

The process repeated over and over with multiple blades of grass sprouting from within the boiling hot water until the entire orb was encased in a intricately knotted grass layer. The steam seeped out through the tiny openings and cooked the grass until it wrinkled and turned into the color of cooked seaweed.

"Air Slash!"

Samurott leapt into the air with its right forefoot extended. The gold armor that encased most of its forefoot had transformed into a sword, which it used to slice away at the sphere. The orb remained intact for only a split second before a loud ripping sound tore through the air. The grass then exploded, and an eruption of steam mushroomed into the air from where the water should have been.

To conclude its performance, Samurott landed in the steam. Once the mist cleared, the pokémon and its trainer bowed to put an end to the appeal. Alec was rewarded with an excited uproar from the crowd and a high score of 29.2 from the judges.

"That was really good," a coordinator in the back room with May whispered to the coordinator on his right.

The girl nodded in return, unable to speak for her name was just called by Lilian to go next. She gulped nervously, clenched the PokéBall in her hand tightly, and walked out of the room.

May concluded that she was probably a newbie coordinator, and smiled thoughtfully to herself. She still remembered feeling the same way at her first contest. Sadly, Ash, Brock, and her brother were not going to be out in the stands cheering her on this time around. There was only Drew, and the thought made her stomach knot like the blades of grass in Alec's performance. As enjoyable as Drew's company was (sometimes), she still found herself wishing that it were her three boys instead. She had to visit them on her journey in Kanto.

Coordinator after coordinator continued to be called onto the stage until only two remained: May, and another male coordinator by the name of Derek. A series of excellent appeals had gone by in a flash, performed by a variety of different pokémon. The majority of them were pokémon that originated from the Kanto region with only three of them being from other regions like Johto and Hoenn, excluding Alec's samurott.

Scores were given out to the trainers of those pokémon. The scores fell in a range of 26.7 to 29.8. May dug her thumbnail in the back of her hand when she saw how great the highest score was. She worried that she would not score high enough to move onto the battle rounds, and the thought scared her.

Only eight out of the sixteen coordinators would be advancing. Would she be one of them?

"Our second to last coordinator will be May Maple, from the Hoenn region! Let's all help welcome her out onto the stage!" Lilian suddenly announced.

May pushed off of the bench that she was sitting on and strode out of the back room, detaching the PokéBall containing her pokémon of choice from her bracelet along the way. The crowd greeted her just as it greeted the coordinators before her: excitedly and with eagerness to see what she had in store for them all.

She discreetly took a deep breath before enlarging her PokéBall, tossing it into the air, where it split open to release her lillipup in a white flash. It appeared in front of her on the stage, where it yipped and wagged its tail happily as it took in the large crowd. A loud _aw_ sounded from everyone when they saw the little pokémon.

"Aw, look at that face. I think it just won the judges over already with its cuteness alone," Lillian said into the microphone. "Let's see what this adorable little thing has in store for us!"

May smiled to herself. Lillipup was adorable alright, but the routine that they had practiced was definitely not a cutesy one. Lillipup was capable of being cute, but there was more to it than just the cuteness, and she was about to show them just that.

"Alright Lillipup, use Shadow Ball, then Fire Fang," she commanded.

Lillipup shot a black and purple ball into the air and followed it. After leaping onto the top, it clamped down on the ball with its teeth, lighting the whole thing on fire as the ball began to fall back down.

The flames grew wilder, engulfing the ball entirely as it began to pick up speed as it shot towards the ground like a meteor. Just as the ball was a foot from the ground, Lillipup did an airborne backflip so that it was beneath the ball instead of on top of it.

When Lillipup's back touched the ground, it freed the ball from its feet, only to thrust the ball back into the air again with its paws. From there, the ball split into two separate halves, which fell back down to Lillipup, who juggled them both and tossed them back into the air. Once again, the balls split into two, creating a total of four. The process repeated until Lillipup was juggling a total of sixteen burning spheres of shadows.

"Now, use Thunder Wave!"

Lillipup threw all sixteen balls into the air before it pushed itself into the air with its tail and landed on all fours. Huge waves of electricity flowed out of the ground from where it stood to create a rippling effect in the form of a circle.

After falling back down, the balls were carried to the edge of the circle by the waves, where they spaced themselves equally apart. They danced up and down along the edge for a brief moment until the Thunder Wave ceased. Then, they leapt into the air, where they each disappeared in a puff of smoke, putting an end to May's performance.

"Now, that was something entirely unexpected from a pokémon like Lillipup," Lilian exclaimed into the microphone as the crowd cheered for May and Lillipup. "Judges, what do you all have to say about that appeal?"

"I say that that was one of the best appeals I've seen all day. May put together a wonderful routine and Lillipup demonstrated a great amount of power. I'm sure everyone will agree with me when I say that I did not think that a pokémon of such cuteness could pull something like that off. I am delightfully impressed by both the coordinator and the pokémon," Mr. Contesta, the main contest judge, commented.

"Remarkable!" Mr. Suziko, the contest judge beside Contesta, remarked.

May almost laughed aloud. That one word was all that laconic man ever said about an appeal, no matter how bad or good it was. To say that he was a man of few words was an understatement.

"I am very pleased by that display, May, and even more pleased by the way you trained Lillipup. I can tell right away if a trainer has been taking proper care and training his or her pokémon correctly, and I can tell you right now you've done just that. You've got yourself a well-rounded pokémon," the town's Nurse Joy said.

After she was done speaking, she and the other two judges put in May's score which was displayed on the large screen above them. A promising 28.7.

"Well, there you have it, May! A wonderful score for a wonderful performance! I'm sure you and Lillipup are very happy about that," Lilian exclaimed, and then she laughed. "Look at Lillipup! It's still wagging!"

All eyes turned to the little puppy, who was in fact still wagging away. May chuckled as the crowd laughed before she bent down and scooped it into her arms and headed back into the back rooms.

Everyone clapped for her as she walked back, Drew especially. He was thrilled to have gotten the chance to see May perform live in a contest for the first time in his life. A minute into her appeal, and he was already captivated by her. Watching her as she commanded Lillipup with such grace was entrancing, yet she still managed to say the commands in the right tone to make everyone's heart speed up in anticipation. She deserved the score she got, if not a higher one, and he couldn't wait to see her battle. This time, he would enjoy being a witness instead of her opponent.

He smirked when he saw her picture appear on the large display screen above the judges after the last coordinator made his appeal.

She was advancing to the next round.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Lol, "burning balls." xD Drew's a pervert, isn't he? Cookies for all of you who recognized Alec because, if you did, that means you read my _Absol_ fanfic. ;) Hope you all enjoyed! Please review! The battle rounds will begin and end in the next chapter. See you next Saturday! :)


	19. A Ribbon and Purple Dress

**Update May 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

* * *

><p>Well, I'm an hour late, aren't I? Sorry for that! I didn't intend to update late! If only the stupid file didn't decide to get up and walk away. :( Anyways, as requested by one of my reviewers, a zoroark will be making a cameo in this chapter. I'm sorry I don't remember who you are since it's been so long since you requested for it, but feel free to remind me of who you are if you were the one who requested it! Sorry it took so long. :\ Happy reading to all and please review!<p>

**_Responses to Reviews..._**_  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ Lol!You recognized him! And yeah, facebook really has become a bit of a bore for me. I only ever get on to check my notifications and to wish people a happy birthday like you do. :P And isn't it? I agree with you when she say that she should've stopped after the first book, but then again, I really enjoyed the second one as well. She should've just written the third one an _entirely_ different way. May I suggest you the _Hunger Games_ fanfic "_I Do"_? It's basically an alternative version of _Mockingjay_ written by a user named Half Hope. If you like the_Hunger Games_ and dislike the third book, I highly suggest you read that. It's a _much_ better ending to the _Hunger Games_ in my opinion. Be sure to tell me what you think if you ever do. :)  
><em>_**LAPKat:**__ Of course! You told me to, didn't you? It's the least I can do to pay you back for all of the reviewing you've done for me. :) Haha, I really like that about him though! It makes him fun! At least he's not a jerk. ;)  
><em>_**Saikono-san:**__ Did I really? Lol! Sorry! xD I really like brunetteshipping (contestshipping more though), so Drew will be fighting for May's affections for a while...or will he? ;)  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Lol! I didn't, one of my reviewers (chocolatehell) told me about it! :) But pwetty pwease read _Absol_? :3  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Thanks for pointing that out! I mixed it when I went back to edit the chapter! I'll be sure to fix that. :) Thank you!  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Haha, naaah. He annoys me, too, to be honest so this is his only cameo. Shoo Alec! :D  
><em>_**KK:**__ Thank you very much! I_ wish_ I could make Saturdays happen every other day. That means less school and work for everybody! Well, more for me since I'll have to rush to get the chapters up on time, but I won't mind if it means less school! xD  
><em>_**BittersweetSienna:**__ He didn't enter the contest. He sat out because he caught a cold. Thanks :)  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Stop arguing with me! You are! It's obvious! End of story! ;D I'd fall for Drew, too. He's like, everything I look for in a guy lol!  
><em>_**Blademon:**__ Haha! I'm asking myself that, too! She will eventually, don't you worry! Thanks for the compliment. :)  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ HAHAH! Did he? I never heard him say anything else! I may have to go look for that episode. xD  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ Haha, thanks! :)  
><em>_**musiclover99:**__ It was! Gosh, I was so disappointed. :( And it is great! I'll have to pay a visit to the Move Tutor with my staraptor, too. :p  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ Lol, Zekrom looks boss. ;D  
><em>_**light-chiix3:**__ What do you mean you have to order it before you read it because it's in english? You're reading my fanfic aren't you? :P  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ He's the cute kind of pervy. ;D  
><em>_**Kaurz9802:**__ Thank you!  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Haha, they do! I'm pretty sure the animators or whatever did it on purpose! I know I am. :D  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ He will be. As to what'll happen, you'll find out when it does. :)  
><em>_**Namcitaable:**_Vulpix_, my dear, it's not a ninetales yet. :P And I like him that way, too. ;)  
><em>_**Lov3dXOXO: **__It's fine! Just make sure you catch yourself up on the reading and reviewing!_ D

* * *

><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 19<strong>

* * *

><p>Delcatty bolted toward its opponent, shrouded in an electricity that left a trail of sparks behind it with each step. The flareon that it was battling dashed forward as well, its own body cloaked in flames as it matched Delcatty's Wild Charge with a Flame Charge.<p>

They met at the middle of the battlefield, both coming to a halt as their heads collided. Their heads shoved against one another as they both tried to gain the upper hand, their aggression feeding the sparks and flames that were growing and fusing the longer they remained in contact. Only fifteen seconds were left of the battle.

"Flareon, break away and use Fire Spin!" Flareon's trainer, Iris, commanded.

Obeying immediately, Flareon pulled away from Delcatty and opened its mouth to release the flames just as May called for a Solarbeam.

Delcatty leapt back as the flames came closer to absorb as much sunlight as it could. Once it got all that time allowed, it shot out an enormous beam of gathered sunlight to intercept the Fire Spin just before it got too close. It flew out, pushing the flames away and then some, closer and closer as the seconds ticked down.

The time dropped to zero just as the Solarbeam came in contact with Flareon's face, putting an end to the battle. May was announced the winner a second later.

Drew took the time that the crowd used for applauding May's performance to slip out to the back rooms. In there, he found May sitting alone on one of the benches for the rest of the coordinators had already either went out to sit in the crowd or left the building altogether after they lost their battles.

The next battle that May was to participate in next was the last one, and it was against the Alec guy that the female audience had swooned over earlier. He was nowhere to be seen, however, so Drew figured he was probably getting ready for the final battle of the contest somewhere else. That was completely fine for Drew; he didn't like the thought of another guy being alone in the same room as May, anyway.

May didn't hear him come in as she fiddled with the five PokéBalls attached to her bracelet. The two new additions contained her Munchlax and Delcatty, which had evolved from her skitty a couple months ago after she had used a Moon Stone on it, a birthday gift from her father. She was proud of how it had battled against Iris's flareon. That fire type had been a nasty thing with its agility and fire power, but Delcatty had held up well and came up victorious in the end.

Munchlax had done good as well in the previous battle against another coordinator's wigglytuff; it had not taken long to knock the wigglytuff out. She would be sending it, along with Delcatty, back home to her mother after they received their needed rest at the Pokémon Center.

The final battle would be between her and Alec. She had no clue what pokémon the guy would be using against her, but she knew for a fact that she would be using her blaziken. Even if Alec stuck with his samurott, she was confident that Blaziken would be able to battle against it despite its type disadvantage. After all, it had managed to defeat Natalie's gyarados a few years ago, and it had only been a combusken at that time. Surely it would be able to handle a samurott.

But there was still an unsettling fist of nerves kneading away in her stomach. Samurott was a Unova region-based pokémon, and she wasn't familiar with Unova or its pokémon, so who was to say that Samurott didn't have some surprises in store? She just hoped it wouldn't be too much of a challenge. She _did _want to win, after all.

The sudden movement of additional weight being put on the bench beside her jolted May out of her thoughts. Drew nudged her knee gently with his and kept it in contact with hers as she lifted her head to look at him.

"Nervous?" he inquired.

"A bit," May admitted. "I've never battled against an Unova region pokémon before, so I don't really know what to expect."

"An Unova region pokémon is still a pokémon. It won't be any different from a Hoenn, Johto, Kanto, or even Sinnoh region pokémon—just battle like you would in a match against any other pokémon," Drew advised, and reached down to give her knee a reassuring squeeze. "Which one are you using?"

"Blaziken," she told him.

"Blaziken, huh? Be careful if Alec decides to use his Samurott."

May lifted the corner of her lip in the tiniest hint of a grin. "That's exactly who I'm concerned about."

"Don't worry—it'll be fine," Drew assured, and gave her knee another squeeze before he pushed off the bench when Lilian called May's name. "Good luck—I'll see you after the contest," he said to her and smiled before disappearing out the door.

May chuckled under her breath and followed him out but went on her own back out to the stage.

The large screen mounted on the wall above the judges displayed the traditional set up for any contest battle. A headshot for Alec and May was programmed to sit above their individual point meters, and the timer at the center of the screen was set to a five-minute time limit. The time began to tick down after both coordinators readied their PokéBalls.

Alec surprised May when he opted for a pokémon by the name of zoroark instead of his samurott. May suddenly felt very silly when she heard him call out the name. She had spent all that time fretting about Samurott, but she failed to take into consideration that Alec probably had more than one Unova region pokémon in his party. Now, she was left to battle against a pokémon that she didn't even know existed until that very moment. How foolish of her.

Then fear overtook her after a slim, bipedal fox-like pokémon materialized from the white flash of its PokéBall. Brownish grey fur covered the entire length of its body, while a ruff of black fur sat on its shoulders. The large and voluminous crimson-colored mane that extended from the back of its head had black tips, and a teal bangle down near the end that matched the color of its eyes.

Crimson rimmed its eyes and mouth, and its sharp claws took on the same blood red color. Its sinister look was topped off when lips curled into a eerie smirk on its pointed snout.

May fought to keep her face impassive as she released her blaziken. The pokémon barely had time to think before the zoroark dashed forward and began assaulting it with a Fury Swipes. Blaziken alternated between swerving to the left and right in order to avoid Zoroark's claws, but Zoroark didn't seem the least bit phased.

May figured out why when it suddenly bent its extended arm and rammed its elbow into Blaziken's chest.

"Blaziken, Brick Break!" she commanded immediately.

Blaziken threw a clawed hand out to block the followup swipe from Zoroark, bringing its fingers around to clamp around Zoroark's wrist to hold it still, and then swiftly chopped down on Zoroark's back.

The dark type winced as the fighting-type move came in contact, but it merely tucked itself into a ball and rolled away. The same eerie smirk was still present on its face.

"Aerial Ace!" Alec called, mirroring his pokémon's supercilious smirk.

May and Blaziken barely had time to blink before Zoroark shot forward and slashed Blaziken in the face.

Drew frowned as he watched the battle taking place on the battlefield before him and the large display screen in front of him. May's points were steadily decreasing, like a hand on a clock would tick down minutes, while Alec's remained still after he lost a small chunk due to the blow that Blaziken had inflicted on Zoroark a moment ago. The _only_ blow that Blaziken had managed to inflict on Zoroark.

Neither May or Blaziken noticed how Zoroark's chest was wide open no matter what attack it used. Blaziken could have struck it in the chest multiple times throughout the entire battle, but it was too distracted by the repetitive blows that Zoroark kept launching. Both May and Blaziken failed to realize that Alec's strategy was to have Zoroark launch out attack after attack to waste as much time as possible. While Blaziken was busy trying to dodge or deflect each blow, May's points dwindled with every failed attempt. Meanwhile, Zoroark would remain unharmed and Alec's points would remain untouched. It would only be a matter of time before either May's points were reduced to nothing or time ran out first.

It was killing Drew to not be able to help.

Blaziken let out a grunt as Zoroark yet again managed to hit it in the chest with another Aerial Ace, despite all of its efforts to block the assaults. Pain jolted all the way down from its chest to its legs, and it felt them threatening to buckle out from beneath itself. It took a moment to steady itself in time to fire out a Flamethrower to ward off Zoroark, who had attempted to come at it again.

May spared a glance at her points on the screen above her. She could not believe it when she saw that she was already down to the final fifth of her points. How could it be? What was she doing wrong?

She knew what. Zoroark was just too fast for Blaziken to be able to counter any of its attacks, and Alec was just too quick for May to be able to think ahead of him. Before May could even think of a counter attack, Alec had already called another move to abuse Blaziken with. How could she even think of fighting back when Zoroark was just too fast to make that possible?

But then she saw it—the flaw in Alec's technique. Why hadn't she noticed it before? She silently thanked the guy for calling another Fury Swipes or else she never would have noticed that Zoroark's chest was wide open. No matter what attack it used, for how long, or for how many times, Zoroark's chest was still wide open. All the time that she had spent paying attention to the onslaught of attacks, she had failed to notice that Zoroark's chest was unprotected through it all. Even as it charged forward once more yet again, just begging to be hit.

She wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"Blaziken! Sky Uppercut on Zoroark's chest!" she commanded.

Zoroark blinked when Blaziken suddenly dove to the ground onto its knees and leapt back up to pound it in the chest. Sure enough, the blow successfully hit its mark, sending Zoroark flying up in the air and then through it when Blaziken followed up with a Flamethrower on the same spot.

Drew nearly cried out in relief as he watched May turn the battle around. Blaziken managed to redeem itself by landing successful blow after successful blow all over Zoroark's body, its chest especially. In respect, Alec's points continued to decrease until his almost matched the amount that May had left.

There was only a minute left of the battle. May could do this. She could win. She _would_ win.

"Looks like May's finally making a comeback!" Lilian exclaimed into the microphone, while the crowd roared in approval as Blaziken seized Zoroark's wrist mid-swipe.

Alec grunted when Blaziken used Zoroark's wrist to spin itself in so that its back was pressed into Zoroark's chest. With one jerk of its arm, it elbowed Zoroark with immense force and sent it flying back to Alec.

"Look at how much vigor Blaziken's displaying!" Lilian continued to say.

Alec growled as they reached the final ten seconds of the battle. He had come so far into this contest; he wasn't about to let the ribbon get away, especially since it was so close within reach. He needed to knock Blaziken out before time ran out on him, and he needed to do it fast.

"Grass Knot, Zoroark!" he commanded hurriedly.

One lone blade of grass sprouted from the ground and snared itself around Blaziken's ankle, yanking the surprised pokémon into the air. The crowd gasped as they watched the grass constrict around Blaziken's ankle tighter every time it struggled, leaving Blaziken no way to break free. It was like bait dangling from a fish hook.

"Finish it with Giga Impact!"

Zoroark roared as it gathered every last bit of its strength and charged forward like a bullet, power seeping out of its body and creating a sphere around it.

To everyone's confusion, May smirked.

"Blaze Kick!" she commanded.

Drew smirked as well when he realized what she was doing.

Flames ignited from Blaziken's snared ankle, burning away the grass and releasing the pokémon to the ground. It landed with a graceful roll and then dashed forward, the flames growing with every step as it closed the distance between it and the oncoming zoroark.

The seconds continued to tick down as they charged at each other. The audience members began to lean forward in anticipation. The judges braced themselves. Lilian gripped the microphone tighter in her hands.

Then Zoroark leapt into the air, leaving its chest exposed once again.

It was Blaziken's turn to smirk.

One second, Blaziken was standing. The next second, it was falling to the ground, bending one leg and leaving the other outstretched to keep its momentum as it slid forward.

Zoroark's vicious scowl vanished into a look of utter shock as its opponent suddenly disappeared from in front of it. Unable to stop itself at the speed it was moving, it continued to soar through the air as Blaziken continued to slide in the other direction.

Just when it flew over Blaziken, Blaziken straightened its bent leg and slammed its blazing foot into Zoroark's chest, sending the pokémon flying in the air before it landed on the ground with a painful thud.

The buzzer went off then and all movement in the room seized. Both Alec and May turned their attention to the screen, a look of horror on the former's face and a smug look on the latter's.

Drew smirked as well at what the screen displayed. He was right. She could've won. She would've won.

She _had_ won.

* * *

><p>Drew could not keep his eyes off of the brunette beauty beside him. When he saw her for the first time that night after heading to her room at the Pokémon Center to pick her up, only one word had passed through his mind.<p>

_Damn_.

There really were no words that he could have used to describe just how amazingly hot she looked in the simple but impossibly alluring purple number that she wore.

The gam-bearing length of the dress already elongated her legs to a degree, but added with the nude pumps that she wore, they seemed to go on endlessly. Her already slim waist was cinched with the tonal belt of the dress, completed with a jeweled oval brooch positioned just slightly to the right. The satin material hugged her figure nicely, complementing her fair skin tone, and accentuating all the right curves and places, especially her rear end. And that low-dipping V-neck...

_Arceus_, Drew had trouble keeping the drool from overflowing; he had never seen her look so good. She completely rocked the dress. Purple was definitely her color.

"Drew? Are you listening to me?" May demanded, literally snapping Drew out of his daze with her thumb and index finger. "Drew!"

"Huh? What?" he asked stupidly.

As she glared at him, he reached for a glass of punch and downed half of it in one gulp to quench his thirst and calm his nerves.

"I must've asked you at least ten times if these were safe to eat," she snapped, pointing at the tray of chocolate-covered rawst berries behind her.

Drew rolled his eyes at her stupidity.

"Of course they're safe to eat," he scoffed. "Why else would they be serving them at a party?"

"Oh, so _now_ you answer," May droned sarcastically. "Well, _excuse me_ for never having tried a certain food before!"

"That's not even the case—it's common sense! They're _food_ being served at a _party. _That pretty much means they're safe to eat!"

"Just shut up," May muttered after a moment, when she failed to think of a witty comeback.

Drew chuckled to himself and turned to glance around the large room that the after party of the contest was being held in as she reached for a berry. After he was certain that she had received enough time to take at least one bite, he turned back around to gauge her reaction—and hopefully get in a good gibe. His jaw almost hit the floor in horror, though, when he saw what she was doing.

May held the berry to her mouth by its leaves, melting the chocolate on her tongue and sucking on it before she pulled it out of her mouth to prevent any drips. She took the berry in and out of her mouth to make the process of removing the chocolate faster, completely oblivious to how sexual she was making it look.

Drew groaned to himself when she paused to lick off the last dribble of dark brown substance before popping the berry back into her mouth to take a bite. A painfully slow bite.

"Mmm," she hummed, her expression going dreamy as she tasted the odd combination of sweetness and bitterness. "This tastes so good."

"Will you please stop that?" Drew breathed, his voice strained and husky.

"Stop what? Eating the berry?" she asked, eyes widening in innocent confusion with the berry just an inch from her mouth.

"No. Stop _the way_ you're eating it."

May opened her mouth to ask Drew what he meant, but stopped herself in time when it dawned on her. She glared at him and whacked him with her hand.

"Pervert! I wasn't even trying to make it look that way!" she scolded.

Drew raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry! It's not my fault! You should've just popped the thing in your mouth instead of doing all that!"

May growled in frustration and turned her back on him to chug her drink.

Drew rubbed the back of his neck nervously and dismissed himself to go to the bathroom to give her time to cool down and to gather himself. He really didn't mean to think that way about the way she ate the berry, but it was so hard not to! He had always been good with his perverted thoughts around any girl no matter how hot they were, but it was so difficult with May. He had never had a girl provoke such a reaction from him before.

That definitely had to be one of the reasons why he was so attracted to her. She made him feel things that he had never felt before. He experienced every feeling that had been a mystery to him in the past—everything from jealousy to lust, even the odd feeling that felt like the fluttering wings of a thousand beautifly in his stomach every time he saw her. Arceus, he didn't think he would ever tire of her.

After giving himself a good splash in the face with some water from the bathroom sink, he headed back out to the party and searched through the crowd for May. Spotting the head of luxurious brunettes waves at the same location that he had left her, he began to walk toward her, meandering through the crowd. He slowed down before he reached her when he saw Alec engaging in a conversation with her. She didn't look very comfortable.

"How old are you?" Drew heard Alec ask May.

"Eighteen?" May responded cautiously, her voice rising up at the end of her answer so that it sounded like a question.

Alec hummed thoughtfully. "Hm, that means you're legal age."

"Legal age for what?" May asked.

"You know...something that a lot of guys here tonight would be dying to do with you without the risk of being thrown in jail."

That was more than enough for Drew to snap.

"Get the hell away from her," he snarled, coming up to them and grabbing May's wrist, dragging her behind him almost possessively. Alec's eyes widened slightly at the fury etched across his face. "Show some goddamn respect for her and yourself. How dare you even think that she would do something like that with the likes of you no matter what age she is. Come within ten feet of her tonight and you _will_ be sorry."

With that, he pulled her away and onto the dance floor, away from the stunned coordinator, and into the safety of the crowd of dancing couples.

"I can't have you out of my sight for one second," Drew grumbled angrily, his arms going around her waist and his fists clenching against her back.

"It's fine. He wasn't going to make a move if I said no," May offered, shrinking away from him slightly in fear. She had never seen him so angry before.

"What makes you think that?" he demanded in a tone harsher than he had intended. He muttered an apology when she winced, and then went on. "A guy bold enough to try and pick up a girl _with a date_ at a contest after party is bold enough to force himself onto her, especially if she's wearing a dress like yours. The next time you wear something like this, I'm going to pull you around on a leash."

May wrinkled her face in disapproval. "Oh, what a _great_ fashion statement that will be. I'll be setting trends for sure." She paused to roll her eyes. "Are you going to get it rhinestoned and everything, too?"

Drew gave her a hard stare. "I'm serious. I can't believe he had the nerve to try and pick you up at a contest after party. Have you guys even talked before?"

"No, but...well...some guys are like that."

"I should go back over there and castrate his sorry a—"

"Drew!" May snapped before he could finish the rest of the offensive sentence.

"What?" he snapped, harshly again but some of his anger ebbed when he saw some reflected on _her_ face.

May sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, hoping her touch would calm him down. Luckily, it did so on some levels.

"Just shut up and dance with me, Andrew," she whispered.

Drew nodded numbly and pulled her closer, placing his chin on her shoulder while they swayed to the music. He would drop the whole thing for her if Alec didn't try anything for the rest of the night—or for the rest of his life for that matter. He didn't want to have to ruin May's night over someone that pathetic.

But he couldn't help glaring daggers at the guy for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Alec needs to keep his hormones under control, I'm just saying. Anyways, if any of you are interested in seeing a picture of May's dress, go type "Selena Gomez purple Reem Arca dress" into the Google search bar and you'll see it. I just adore that dress to pieces! Please review regardless of the delay! Thanks for reading :)


	20. Unexpected Addition

**Update May 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

* * *

><p>I have nothing to say for once except that you guys aren't going to like the contents of this chapter very much. We have an unwanted visitor and some major disappointment approaching, I'm just saying. ;P Regardless, please review and happy reading!<p>

_**Responses to Reviews...**__  
><em>_**chocolatehell: **__Lol! I was so tempted to do that, but then I was like, 'Eh, it's the last book. Might as well just suck it up and get it over with.' :P Drew_is_! But we like him that way! And I wasn't going to include Alec, but I figured it was a good enough way as any to shamelessly advertise my other fanfic. xP And you are correct! As of this chapter, we are officially half of the way through. That is, if I don't suddenly think of any other ideas and end up extending the fanfic. I only want 40 chapters. :P By the way, are you getting my reviews? I use an app on my phone and I'm not sure half the time if all of my reviews go through. -_-  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Alec is annoying! But I love jealous Drew, too! He's adorable ;D  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Awkward how? :) And thanks! I was worried that no one would like the battles!  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ I LOVE it in purple. There's apparently another celeb who wore the same dress except in a blue color, but I think Selena's version was better! And I like how she shortened the hem, too! The original was too long in my opinion :\ Lol! Sorry about your laptop!  
><em>_**lyrical-harmonies:**__ They're going to make a cameo. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with what I have in mind for their cameo...hopefully. ;) Thanks very much for your kind words!  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ I don't think Giratina had a counterpart! But I may be wrong, don't quote me on that! :P  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ Thanks! I have a hard time getting into legendary shippings to be honest. I much prefer human shippings. :\  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Hahaha! You're funny! Which is why_ you_ are! :D I wish there was a real life Drew for every girl. :( Lol! I've always liked that name, too!  
><em>_**Fprmr1: **__Lol! I think he let his anger slip out for a little too long. ;D  
><em>_**LuvPeaceCandy: **__I know! :D  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Lol, do you want to make a cameo in one of the future chapters? I have another contest planned. :) I really need to check out _Love in the Strangest Places_. I've never read it before but you're the second one whose said that to me! (or the same on, I don't really remember hehe. :P) And oh! Don't worry! My cousin decided it'd be a good idea to show me _The Seed of Chuckie_ and _Anaconda_ when I was a small kid. Then, last year, my friends decided to tie me down and force-show me this other horror movie which name I do not remember! Evil people, eeeevil people. Dx  
><em>_**Chi-Chiwawa:**__ Unfortunately, Gary's going to be coming back. Haha, near the end, he'll be making a lot of appearances. He _is_ the guy that May's in love with still, isn't he? He needs to appear in order to disappear from her heart. xD Thanks very much!  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ My mom thinks I am, too. You should see the looks she gives me when I randomly bust out laughing when I read a review from my readers or something. Just like when I read your last one! :D  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Thanks! :)  
><em>_**BulbaBabe:**__ Thank you very much! :D  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Hehe, maybe or maybe not. Don't forget that that certain brunette she loves another certain brunette. One that happens to be very hott and one of my favorite male characters in the entire anime. He's bound to stick a while! ;D But not too long, don't worry! And thank you! I'm glad you're reading it!  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies: **__Lol, I understand. :)  
><em>_**KK:**__ You're never late if you still review! :D And you got it right, it's twenty. See? You don't suck at math. ;D  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Well, I don't know about that but it makes me extremely happy that you're taking time out of your day to read and review! :D And thank you! I was just inspired by some scenes, that's all. More inspired by the_ Hunger Games_ though, considering my unhealthy obsession. ;P  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ No, I don't believe you reviewed twice. It's fine that you're late though. Better late than never, eh? :D_

* * *

><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 20<strong>

* * *

><p>"My feet hurt so badly right now," May complained to Drew as she bent her knees slightly in order to reach her ankle without having to bend all the way down.<p>

Even so, the hem of her dress had begun to rise up her thigh, inching dangerously higher and higher, revealing more and more skin. She immediately used her free hand to pull it down, removing her hand from the table behind her and began to lose her balance.

Drew reached out just in time to grab her around the waist before she toppled over. The last thing he needed was for her to fall over while she was wearing such a mini number; no one needed to know if she was wearing panties or not. As little as he would have minded to find out, he preferred to keep that part secret for everyone else.

Watching as she massaged the back of her ankle through the patent leather of her pumps, he rolled his eyes.

"Why'd you wear such high shoes then?" he asked her.

"Because they go with my dress?" May snapped as if it were a crime that he would even ask such a thing. "And get off me—I can stand perfectly well on my own."

Drew reluctantly withdrew his arm from her waist, feeling rather dejected.

"Well, someone's snappy," he muttered sarcastically.

May's facial expression instantly showed signs of guilt at his tone, but Drew waved a hand dismissively.

"Whatever. We're leaving in another couple minutes or so, anyways, you'll live," he insisted.

May mumbled something about inconsideration and lack of concern.

"Oh, come on, May. If you're capable of walking miles every day, then you're capable of staying on your feet in your heels for another half hour or so. Then, you'll be in your room and you can do away with them any way you'd like."

"A _half hour_? These are _pumps_, Drew—I can't survive that long!" she exclaimed and Drew rolled his eyes at her hyperbole. "Why can't we just leave now?"

"Because it's pointless to leave when there's only about five more minutes of the party," he insisted with an exasperated sigh.

Why couldn't she have asked to leave earlier? He found no point in leaving when the party was practically over.

Besides, the last slow dance was going to start soon. He would like to dance with her one last time for the night; he didn't know when the next chance for him would be.

"And plus, the last slow dance is about to start," he pointed out hopefully. "Can you please just endure the shoes for a little bit more and dance with me?"

May bit her lip for a moment and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, wincing as the leather rubbed against the blister on the back of her foot. Feeling the pain, she opened her mouth to refuse, but Drew quickly inserted a "pretty please?" followed by a pout, and she found herself unable to say no.

"Alright, let's go," she groaned defeatedly.

Drew smirked gleefully and allowed her to lead them to the dance floor.

"_The strands in your eyes, that color them wonderful stop me, and steal my breath. And emeralds from mountains, thrust towards the sky, never revealing their depth_," the singer's voice sang, flowing from the speakers placed up in the corners of the room. "_Tell me that we belong together, dress it up with the trappings of love. I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips, instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above_."

"I think this has to be the best song they've played all night," Drew said to May as they swayed in an effort to make conversation and to keep her awake. Her eyelids were drooping far too low for his liking. He decided teasing her would help as well. "You could fall asleep on my shoulder if you'd like."

"I'm not falling asleep," May protested in a mumble, her voice thick with drowsiness and her facial expression resembling a sleepy toddler's. "I want to keep myself awake so I'll fall asleep right away when I get into bed."

Drew had to smile; it was adorable seeing her as sleepy as she was. Of course, he had to tease her again, too, considering how she left herself wide open for it.

"Whose bed? Yours or mine?" he asked.

May went from a sleepy toddler to a feisty young woman in a split second.

"You're going to be kissing your future children goodbye if you keep suggesting things like that," she threatened.

Drew pulled a fake innocent look on her. "What are these things that you think I'm suggesting? I never said I would be joining you in either bed."

May opened her mouth, but no words came out. The flush on her cheeks said them for her, though.

Drew smirked wickedly.

"Oh, is _that_ what you thought I was suggesting? How very naughty of you, May. That was the furthest thing from my mind," he insisted, his voice oozing faux innocence. "Or was it?"

"You're really hoping to become an eunuch tonight, aren't you?" May growled.

Drew simply laughed. At least she was awake.

_And rain falls angry on the tin roof_  
><em>As we lie awake in my bed.<em>  
><em>You're my survival, you're my living proof.<em>  
><em>My love is alive and not dead.<em>  
><em>Tell me that we belong together.<em>  
><em>Dress it up with the trappings of love.<em>  
><em>I'll be captivated,<em>  
><em>I'll hang from your lips,<em>  
><em>Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above<em>

_And I've dropped out, I've burned up, I've fought my way back from the dead._  
><em>I've tuned in, turned on, remembered the things that you said<em>

May sulked as she swayed with Drew. Her movements were rigid and her feet barely lifted off of the ground. Drew's recent joke had certainly left her in a grumpy mood. Normally, a joke like that wouldn't have, but considering the drowsiness that was plaguing her and the ache in her feet, it pressed more buttons than usual.

"Come on, May—cheer up. I was only joking," Drew urged, seeing how agitated she was.

When she didn't do so, he dipped her backward playfully. He was pleased to see her lips tugging upward after he pulled her back up.

"There. See? You know you can't stay angry at me," he said smugly.

"I could if I tried," she insisted.

Drew chuckled. "Sure you could."

_I'll be your crying shoulder,_  
><em>I'll be love's suicide<em>  
><em>I'll be better when I'm older,<em>  
><em>I'll be the greatest fan of your...<em>  
><em>I'll be your crying shoulder,<em>  
><em>I'll be love's suicide<em>  
><em>I'll be better when I'm older,<em>  
><em>I'll be the greatest fan of your life.<em>

_The greatest fan of your life._  
><em>...greatest fan of your life.<em>

The lights returned to the room after the music began to die down. May let out a sigh of relief as the host of the party made his way onto the stage to thank everyone for attending and wish everyone a good night. A round of applause followed afterward for her to congratulate her on the ribbon that she had won. However, she only accepted it half-heartedly due to her increasing fatigue.

"The party's over. Can we leave now?" she asked Drew immediately after bowing gratefully at everyone and shaking some of the hands of attendees.

Drew turned back to her after glaring at Alec for daring to attempt to approach them after what he had threatened earlier, even if the guy was just planning on congratulating May. He chuckled at the disapproving, half-lidded eyes look that she gave him and took her wrist.

"Yeah, we can leave now," he told her.

Then with her in tow, he began to lead them out of the party and back to the Pokémon Center.

* * *

><p>The sun rose early the next morning, illuminating the small town of Lavender and stirring early risers out of their slumber. Drew was among the few who had actually gotten out of bed. He had contemplated just sleeping in at first, but decided against it. He and May were supposed to set out on their journey to Fuchsia City, and early morning was a good a time as any to get going. There was going to be another contest in a less than a fortnight, so Drew needed to make sure that they made it there early rather than late. He needed to make up for missing the Lavender Town contest.<p>

Not that he minded very much about missing it, of course. May had won the contest and earned herself a ribbon, so in a way, he had still won on some level. Getting to see her perform live had been a treat and being able to avoid having to risk battling with her had been a relief.

But he would have to face her in a contest eventually. There was no way around it, considering they _were_ traveling together, so it was nice to have been able to put off the inevitable for a little while longer.

However, there was no guarantee that he would be able to avoid it at the Fuchsia City contest. He didn't like the idea of having to compete against her in a contest, but he wasn't about to sit out of every contest to avoid that, either. Just so long as she didn't hold a grudge against him if he ever beat her.

"May, can I come in?" he asked once he made it to the door of her room, rapping on the door twice for good measure.

A muffled response came from behind the door right after, its tone beckoning him to precede through the door with caution.

The room was dark when Drew entered it. The curtains were drawn over the windows and the lights were all off. The only source of illumination came from the wall-mount television that was exhibiting a rather tragic-looking movie.

A guy was bleeding from his mouth, his face swollen and bruised as he was beaten to a pulp by an even bigger guy, but he still maintained a protective stance over a girl that Drew assumed to be his girlfriend. Losing interest quickly, he let his eyes trail to the bed, where he made out May's silhouette, and eventually, the balled up tissue that she held to her nose.

"Are you crying?" he gasped as he saw sniffle into the tissue, her cheeks gleaming with tears. He spared the television one last glance as a gunshot rang through the speakers before he hurried to her side and sat beside her. "Why are you crying?"

"It's a sad movie," May sniffled in response.

A lone tear leaked out of her eye as she watched the lead female character clutch the corpse of her newly deceased boyfriend.

Drew couldn't help but chuckle at her. It was so out of character for her to be crying over a movie, when she was always so hyper and cheerful.

"How long have you been watching this?" he inquired while he wiped the tear away with his thumb.

"Long enough for me to care about the characters enough to cry for them."

"I'm guessing that means you saw the whole thing, which means you've been up earlier than I have?"

The police burst in at that moment to take away the criminal before he could do any more damage to the girl. May whimpered as the mother of the guy and his girlfriend clutched at one another, grieving over the loss of the most important person in their lives, while the jerk was handcuffed and taken away.

"Maybe," she hiccuped.

"I think yes."

"Fine—yes. I got up earlier than I should've, so I turned on the TV to pass some time until sunrise," May admitted, and chucked the balled up tissue in her hand into the trash can as the credits rolled, while raking the other through her brunette waves.

Drew marveled at how perfectly they fell back into place behind her back, but didn't comment on it. Instead, he slid an arm around her waist to give her a comforting squeeze.

"It's okay. The movie's over now—you can stop crying," he soothed playfully, while she scowled at him.

Chuckling as he removed his hand from her side, he reached for the remote sitting against her thigh to turn the television off. She startled him, though, when she flinched as his fingers accidentally grazed her side, tickling the tiny sliver of exposed skin along her hip.

Thinking he had imagined what he had just saw, he brushed his fingers over the same area of skin to coax the same reaction out of her. He smirked wickedly when she squirmed and wriggled under his fingertips as he preceded to run them up and down her side.

"You're ticklish?" he asked.

"No," she lied instantly.

Drew simply cocked an eyebrow at her disbelievingly. She was so obviously lying by the way she was backing away from him, her arms wrapped around her midsection to protect it. She glared at him warningly when he lifted his legs onto the bed and shifted into a crouching stance.

"You wouldn't dare," she growled.

"Oh, but I would," he told her, a wicked smirk spreading across his lips.

And then he lunged.

May's back hit the bed with a thud as Drew tackled her. Then, he climbed over her, trapping her beneath him as he began his tickling. His fingers danced all along her sides and over her stomach, discovering areas where she was ticklish and lingering on the spots that tickled her most.

She squealed his name as he did so, begging for him to stop, but he wouldn't. He was enjoying the giggles he was getting out of her. They were cute and contagious, making him laugh along himself. He wouldn't be stopping any time soon.

She tried escaping a few times, attempting to crawl out from under his arms, but he had gotten her back every time. The tickling would then intensify, his fingers roaming all over her midsection with a vengeance as punishment for daring to try and escape. Her squirms and curls would multiply in harmony with the tickling as she struggled to protect her midsection, but it was of no use.

She even tried to put more distance between them by propping her knees up against his stomach to force him away, but that only served to give him more access to her belly. He laughed as her giggles grew louder and more breathless, her pleas for him to stop more desperate.

Then, she let out the most adorable giggle that he had ever heard from her, and he had to stop to look at her. He could see her glowing from all of the laughter, even in the darkness of the room. She looked so gorgeous and adorable that he couldn't help but laugh at her as she struggled to catch her breath. He panted as he waited for her giggling to die away to the occasional hiccup.

It seemed to take an eternity, but even if it did, he wouldn't have minded. Seeing her so happy pleased him to no end. He even considered tickling her again after she stopped giggling to start it up once more. Unfortunately, they had to leave soon. He would have to do it another time.

May hadn't realized that she had been supporting all of Drew's weight on her knees until he fell on top of her when she let her legs fall flat to the bed. His body covered hers entirely, pressing her further into the mattress and trapping her beneath him. Both of them let out a startled gasp before he pulled away to stare at her in horror. The horror in his eyes vanished as quickly as it had come once they met hers.

How they got where they were then, Drew would never know. One moment, they were having the time of their lives, both of them laughing as he tickled her senseless. The next moment, he had fallen on top of her, his body pressing against hers in ways that made his react against his will. They were pressed so closely together that he swore he could feel her heart pounding against his chest. But then again, it could have been his heart instead of hers.

The loveliest blush he had ever seen on a girl bloomed across her cheeks as she realized the position they were in, how sexually tense the atmosphere around them had become. She looked so gorgeous with the pink popping against her ivory skin tone, her brunette hair perfectly splayed out behind her head. Too inviting—too damn enticing for him _not_ to want to lean down to kiss her.

To hell with waiting for her, he wanted a kiss _now_. _Needed_ it. Who was to say that a kiss wasn't what he needed to get their relationship started? It could be an eye-opener for her, an epiphany to help her realize her feelings for him, the feelings that he _knew_ she had. Otherwise, she wouldn't have let them get as far as they had gotten.

Yes, a kiss could do that. A kiss _would_ do that.

With that thought in mind, he began to lean down closer, ignoring the nervous feeling in his stomach because she wasn't moving, wasn't pushing him away. He was prepared to throw all cautions to the wind at that moment to see where a kiss would take them. He wanted to know, wanted to _feel_ what it'd be like for his lips to be against hers. The moment was perfect, the opportunity presenting itself so willingly and eagerly. He had to take it.

But then May turned her face and his lips ended up stroking her cheek instead.

And just like that, the moment was gone.

Rejection stung like a beedrill. It hurt so much that Drew only froze for one moment before he pushed away from her as if she were made of molten lava. The instant his feet touched the floor, he began to back away to put as much distance between them as possible.

"I'll meet you in the lobby," he muttered after it became obvious that she wouldn't be speaking first. Then, he turned and left through the door.

May breathed in and out for a moment after he left, her eyes glued to the ceiling as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. When she did, she began to hate herself, allowing the current of guilt to wash over her and drown her in its torture.

How could she have let that happen? Why did she let it happen? She liked Gary! She wasn't supposed to let things like that happen between her and Drew! She had been leading him on throughout that entire tickle session, tricking him into believing that she felt something for him because she'd let it happen. Because she'd almost let him kiss her.

But then the question came: did she like him? If not, then why had she allowed all of that to happen? Why had she allowed him to get his lips so close to her? Why had she allowed him to tickle her for so long? Why had she even allowed him to touch her in the first place?

But most importantly, why was she suddenly so confused about her feelings towards Gary, when she had been so sure of them a mere week ago?

Dozens of answers came to mind, but none of them managed to please her. With a frustrated sigh, she pushed herself off of the bed, grabbed her bag that was resting against the end table, and forced herself to leave her room. She found Drew waiting for her at the end of the hallway with his back against the wall beside the elevator. He looked up from the rose that he was twirling absentmindedly in his hand when he heard her approach.

"Uh...," May began awkwardly, not quite knowing what to say and struggling to form any words. "About what just happened...I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have let that go so far. I'm not ready—I mean, I shouldn't have let you get close to kissing me if I'm still not sure of my feelings for you."

Well, that certainly sounded a lot dumber than she would have liked.

Drew eyed her with a mild expression, searching her eyes, while his flickered all over her face for what seemed to be forever.

The silence became so nerve-wracking that May accidentally asked if he were mad at her without thinking. She bit her lip nervously as she waited for his answer.

_Please don't be mad at me, _she begged in her mind_._

"No, I'm not mad at you," he told her eventually, supporting his words with a reassuring smile. "If anything, I'm mad at myself. I shouldn't have tried to kiss you—you were caught off guard and not ready for it. Our first kiss would've been meaningless if I went through with it. I'm glad you stopped me."

May felt herself letting go of the breath that she had been subconsciously holding.

The elevator doors opened beside Drew, then, and he pushed off the wall to get to her. Putting a hand on the small of her back, he ushered her into the elevator and slipped the rose into her hand.

"Just be sure to let me know when you are," he added.

May said nothing in response.

The elevator ride and walk to the front desk had been painfully silent for May. Drew had distanced himself from her as much as possible in that short amount of time in order to get over the rejection that he still felt. It was still something new for him, which meant it still stung like an absolute bitch.

Meanwhile, May's guilt ate away at her as she watched him fight to keep his face impassive, while his eyes betrayed him as they smoldered with the pain that he was feeling. He couldn't hide that, and it killed her.

"The contest's really over?" a girl with short red hair asked Nurse Joy at the front desk.

Drew and May watched as Nurse Joy gave her the answer that made her shoulders droop: she was a day late. The look on her face was so forlorn when she turned around that neither Drew or May had expected for her to brighten up the way she did when her eyes fell on them. Her dark teal eyes flickered with excited recognition.

"Oh my Arceus, you guys are Drew Hayden and May Maple, right?" she exclaimed, her voice barely containing the squeal that threatened to rise out of her throat.

Drew nodded and eyed her oddly. "Yes, we're Drew Hayden and May Maple."

"Oh my Arceus...sorry, I'm just so ecstatic to be meeting you guys. I've always admired you guys as coordinators ever since you guys stepped foot onto the stage. I've been so inspired by you both. I just never thought that I'd have the chance to meet either of you, let alone both of you at the same time," the girl gushed, her eyes still twinkling with excitement.

May smiled kindly and stepped forward from her awkward distance behind Drew. Extending her hand, she introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you," she said in greeting. "What's your name?"

The girl wore an expression caught between shyness and elation as she placed her hand in May's and shook.

"Hi, I'm Brianna, Brianna Lawrence," she informed.

"Hi Brianna," May greeted, beaming back at Brianna in a friendly manner.

Drew took after her by smiling at the girl as well, nodding her way in acknowledgement.

Brianna smiled back at him timidly, a slight blush blooming on her cheeks.

"What was that about missing the contest?" he asked.

"Oh, I got the date messed up and thought it was tomorrow. Turns out I'm a day late," she explained, looking rather disappointed and forlorn again.

May sympathized her.

"It's alright, there'll be others," she offered in the hopes that she could cheer Brianna up a little.

"I know, but the next one is being held in Fuchsia City. I'd have to set out right now if I want a chance of making it there before the contest starts. I don't want to miss two in a row."

"Oh, you're headed to Fuchsia City, too?"

Brianna nodded, not appearing to be the least bit thrilled about having to set out on another journey after just reaching Lavender Town.

"That's perfect, then! How about you travel with us? We're headed there, too."

Brianna and Drew looked at May in surprise. Neither of them had expected for her to suggest such a thing, but she was more than willing to do so. With Brianna traveling with them, she could avoid any awkward situations with Drew for a good week or so, at least until they got to Fuchsia City. She needed some time that didn't involve being alone with him. She was glad when Drew remained quiet as Brianna debated on whether or not to agree.

"Are you sure that'd be okay with you guys?" Brianna eventually asked hesitantly.

Drew couldn't say anything to respond. Or rather, May beat him to it. Why was she so eager to have Brianna join them?

"Of course it'd be okay! We're all headed in the same direction, anyways, you'd might as well come along," she insisted enthusiastically. "What do you say?"

Brianna hesitated another moment.

"Yeah, come along—the more the merrier," Drew inserted unenthusiastically after seeing that May was pretty set on having Brianna travel with them.

He wasn't going to deny her the company if she wanted someone to join them on their journey. It would only be for a few days, after all; he would be able to endure it. Perhaps it would be good for them if May received some time to think over her feelings without having him constantly giving into the temptation to try and influence her any further. Perhaps the results would be worth the wait.

Drew's approval seemed to be all Brianna needed.

"Alright, I'll come along," she told May with a cheeky grin.

May breathed out in relief and yanked the girl out of the Pokémon Center before she or Drew could blink.

There. Hopefully with Brianna coming along with them, she could have some time to herself to figure out her feelings for both Gary and Drew. To figure out whom it was she liked exactly.

Or at least, get herself together first.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Hehe, that tickling scene was fun to write. Hope I didn't disappoint you guys too much by preventing the kiss from happening. It'll happen eventually, don't worry! :D Hope you liked it! Please review!

_I'll Be  
><em>Song by Edwin McCain


	21. Admit It

**Update May 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

* * *

><p>So, as I was going back and going over all of the reviews that I had to respond to for my last chapter, I noticed that I missed a couple of my old ones as well! I'm so sorry if I ever forgot to respond to your reviews some time before in the past! Please know that this was <em>not<em> intentional and every time was purely an accident! I really mean to respond to all of them. Forgive me :(

Anyways, happy reading, please review!

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>Pear-Shaped:<strong>__ Lol, aw, can't Brianna be nice? :)_  
><em><strong>Sora-May:<strong>__ Hehe, thanks! :)_  
><em><strong>chocolatehell:<strong>__ Oh my gosh, Gale bugged me SO MUCH in the third book. Lol, I just wanted to tear his head off at some points. Oh well, what's done is done. There's no going back for the third book. Really can't wait for the movie though!_  
><em><strong>Pokemaster:<strong>__ Don't worry, I plan to write at least 40 chapters if not more. :)_  
><em><strong>EeveeTransformed:<strong>__ Hahaha, wait and see!_  
><em><strong>leontinees:<strong>__ May has seen him as a ladies man! Remember Sammi from chapter 1 or 2 and Skyler from prom? :) But Spain is so beautiful! I'd at least like to visit :P_  
><em><strong>The Last Poison Apple:<strong>__ She will eventually, maybe sooner rather than later. :)_  
><em><strong>LoveLoverGrl:<strong>__ Haha, I tried to make it as cute as possible! Did I fail? :P_  
><em><strong>Fprmr1:<strong>__ Yup, jealousy may just be the key. :)_  
><em><strong>Monochrome13:<strong>__ I think your feeling may be right there!_  
><em><strong>Chi-Chiwawa:<strong>__ Oh my gosh, I HATED Brianna's obsession with Drew. Waaay too creepy, so I'm just going to leave that out haha. But Gary won't be coming back for another ten chapters or so! Don't worry! :)_  
><em><strong>Namcitaable:<strong>__ I love _Nickelback_ and the song! Thanks for telling me about it!_  
><em><strong>Claudette14:<strong>__ How long are we going to keep up this argument? I mean, I'd like it to end if you would just accept the fact that YOU'RE the best and not me! Geez, making things so difficult. :D But yes! Brianna's the unwanted visitor. Gary won't be making an appearance until later on!_  
><em><strong>FlygonFan:<strong>__ Oh my goodness, I wasn't expecting all that lol! I'll try to incorporate as much as possible!  
><em>_**ElsieLorraine:**__ I noticed that to and I've actually been in the process of going over my story and editing out of the mistakes! Dialogue from two different people in the same paragraph is one of mistakes that I'm fixing! Thanks for pointing it out! :D And about all the guys being after May, that's not true. There's only three after her. The others have their own girlfriends or love interests. Three's the max, I promise. Alec was just a perv. :) But thank you very much for the review and reading my story!  
><em>_**Raine:**__ I'm not going to make her a total bitch. She's always been just an overly obsessive fangirl in my eyes, to be honest. Bitchyness never came across my mind haha. :P  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Hehehe, spot on about the jealousy. ;D Thanks for everything you said!  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Haha! I'll be sure to keep those names in mind for_ Absol. _Thanks :) And yes! That's always bugged me, too! But people will write what they want to right, we can't do anything about it. :P  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ HAHAHAH! "What's that evil cow doing here?" BAHAHAHA! I just found that so funny, I'm sorry. xD  
><em>_**KK: **__Haha, only three boys. And one's been staying out of the action. So, she's not getting swamped by_ many!  
><strong>P:<strong>_ Thanks! And yum! I love ramen noodles! :D  
><em>_**LAPKat:**__ Same! But then again, I don't like many of the Unova region pokémon because I practically know none of them! I stopped keeping up with pokémon after the Hoenn region. It just became so excessive after that. Pokémon's just not the same as it was for me growing up. I miss the time's when there were only 150 pokémon total. I'm only grateful for the Hoenn region because it gave us Drew and May. :P AND YOU WENT TO CHINA? YOU LUCKY ONE, YOU!  
><em>_**Pelkasauras -Cherry3456:**__ Hehehe! I'm sorry! :D Thank you so much!_

* * *

><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 21<strong>

* * *

><p>"Charmander, Slash!" Brianna commanded of her reptilian fire-type pokémon.<p>

The small pokémon obliged and ran forth, claws extended before it launched a swipe at its opponent.

"Lillipup, Protect, then use Take Down," May called.

Lillipup did as told, pushing a blue aura out of itself to create an impenetrable shield in the shape of a dome. When Charmander's claws came in contact, they simply slid off of the surface. Then, Lillipup withdrew the shield and charged at its opponent, ramming itself into Charmander's cream-colored belly and sending the fire type skidding backward.

"Okay, I think that's enough for today," May said to Brianna as the timer went off, signaling the end of their practice battle.

"Yeah, thanks—you were beating me there," Brianna replied with a grin. "You weren't kidding when you said you'd get payback today."

"Of course. I never lie," May insisted, smiling playfully and walked over to her backpack to retrieve her bottle of water.

Drew watched the brunette with a disapproving look on his face as she took a sip of the drink.

He could argue with her about what she had just said; she _did_ lie. She had been lying to herself ever since he had told her that he liked her. He knew she felt something for him; she just refused to admit it. Whether it was because she still liked Gary, felt guilty about her situation with Brendan, or some other unknown reason, Drew wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was determined to make her admit it soon.

But he was growing impatient, especially since the brunette had been neglecting him ever since Brianna joined them, which was roughly a little over a week ago. It was great that the two girls were such great friends—he was sure that the brunette would be yearning for some female companionship—but how would he get anywhere with May if she kept ignoring him?

He was willing to wait for her, but a guy could only wait so long. If she kept avoiding him, then he would end up having to wait for nothing. There would be no way in hell for her to admit her feelings if things kept going in the direction that they were going. He had to do something about it soon if he still wanted her.

And he did. He really did.

"Are you guys finished?" he asked, rising from where he sat on a fallen log, and approached the two girls.

Either Brianna or May could've answered the question, but he kept his eyes fixed on the brunette, letting her know that he wanted her to answer him.

May simply glanced at him from the corner of her eye and nodded without removing the water bottle from her lips.

Drew frowned slightly. It wasn't exactly the answer that he had expected; he had wanted a verbal answer. But he supposed it was better than nothing.

"Alright, battle me next, May," he said.

May pulled the bottle of water away from her mouth.

"What? Why?" she asked him.

Short, but at least it was a verbal answer. Drew decided to accept it.

"Because I haven't gotten a chance to train my growlithe with anyone yet," he told her.

"Then battle with Brianna!"

"Oh no, you're not getting me to battle again—I'm hungry. _You_ battle with Drew, _I'm_ getting my food," the redhead inserted before Drew could protest for himself.

Drew silently thanked her in his head as she scampered off with her charmander.

"Well, are you going to battle with me or not?" he demanded, turning his head back to look at May.

"Do I really have to?" May inquired, her face strained and awkward.

When Drew nodded, she sighed and unclipped the PokéBall containing her vulpix and went back to her side of the large field.

Drew smirked and followed suit, going to his.

"It'll only be a short practice battle, May—I promise," he assured her when he noticed that he was still able to see her sulking expression from where he stood.

"Yeah, yeah—I know," she called dismissively with an eye roll. "Let's just get it over with so that I can eat."

Both Growlithe and Vulpix appeared before Drew and May respectively after they were released from their PokéBalls. The first move was launched by Growlithe, who fired out an Ember attack at Vulpix.

Vulpix responded by shooting out a Swift attack that managed to slice through some of the small flames on its way to Growlithe, but some still managed to pass through. Vulpix leapt to the side to avoid them, while Growlithe did the same to evade the stars.

The pokémon both exchanged blow after blow for a good two minutes. They aimed their attacks to inflict damage on one another, but no more than just a simple scratch since it was only practice. A couple of head-on attacks were called, but they always wound up resulting in a draw.

Then again, most of their attacks always wound up in a draw. If there was one thing that needed to be said about the two pokémon, it was that they both seemed to match one another in everything. Attack, defense, speed, accuracy—anything that could be thought of. The only differences between them were their physical appearances and their movesets. Otherwise, they were practically the same pokémon.

"Growlithe, Wild Charge!" Drew called to wrap up the battle.

"Zen Headbutt, Vulpix!" May commanded in response.

Growlithe charged, shrouded in electricity from its head to its tail.

Vulpix focused its willpower into its head and ran ahead.

Making a beeline for one another, the two pokémon darted forward until their heads came in contact. Once they did, they began to shove against one another, trying to get the other to yield. Their efforts resulted in a draw yet again.

"Okay, you two—that's enough," May announced, clapping her hands together to alert the pokémon that the battle was over. "It's time to eat."

Growlithe and Vulpix bounded over to May's side immediately to follow her to the picnic that Brianna had set up while Drew and May battled. Four plates filled with pokémon food were already left off to the side for the pokémon to eat, two of which were already claimed by Charmander and Lillipup. Growlithe and Vulpix didn't hesitate to claim their own.

"Oh, done already?" Brianna asked when she saw Drew and May approaching. "I thought it would've taken longer than that."

"Was it _not_ long enough?" May snapped a little harshly, shooting Brianna a scowl.

To that, the girl simply smiled cheekily and handed the brunette a plate of food. With an eye roll, May accepted it and plopped herself down next to her redheaded friend, whom she nudged playfully.

"It wasn't that long," Drew insisted as he accepted his own plate of food from Brianna. After thanking her, he sat himself down next to May and turned to her. "It only took around three minutes."

"Yeah, but I could've spent those three minutes eating instead."

"You'd rather eat than train your pokémon? Do I need to remind you that there's a contest in Fuchsia in a few days?"

"No, but I was hungry!"

"You're always hungry. Are you ever anything but hungry?" he gibed.

"You're always a jerk. Are you ever anything but a jerk?" she retorted.

"Alright! Enough!" Brianna cried out in irritation, startling both Drew and May and their pokémon. "I've been with you guys for a little over a week now, and all you guys have ever done is bicker! Do you guys ever do anything _but_ bicker? Just hush up and eat your food!"

Drew and May shut up instantly and plowed their food into their mouths.

"And no glaring either!" Brianna reprimanded.

Drew and May diverted their eyes to the ground.

"Good, now finish your food. We're not too far from Fuchsia, so if we set out again after lunch, we might make it there by nightfall," Brianna said, and then paused to examine how her authorative tone had affected Drew and May. Seeing their defeated forms, she turned to the pokémon to flash them a wink. "I'm good, huh?"

All four pokémon gave her a happy chorus of approval. Charmander even gave her two thumbs up.

The meal continued on in mostly silence. Brianna had attempted to get Drew and May to make up with one another halfway into the meal, but when that resulted in another argument between the two, she shushed them again and had them eat the rest of their food in silence.

Brianna didn't understand why the two of them always argued with one another. Where did they find so many things to argue about? When she had first met them, she had thought that they were a lovey dovey young couple traveling with one another. Little did she know, they were about the exact opposite. They bickered constantly and any peaceful times between the two of them were always short lived.

Normally, Drew would be the one to try to cheer May up, but he would end up ticking her off again a few hours later. They were like oil and water; they just didn't mix. Brianna constantly found herself wondering why they even decided to travel with one another in the first place.

Of course, she never asked. She didn't feel right imposing on their personal business, especially since they were so kind as to let her join them on their way to Fuchsia. She figured that if they wanted her to know, one of them would have told her already. It was best to just stay out of their business.

She really did like the two of them, though. May had been such a sweetheart and Drew had been such a gentleman to her since she had joined them. Hopefully, things would work out between the two. Perhaps she could even try to get them together if they weren't already. It was obvious that Drew felt something for May and, even if she refused to admit it, May felt something for Drew as well. She had asked May at one point during their short journey, and May's answer had made it clear that she did.

Whatever it was that was keeping her from admitting it, though, was a mystery. Brianna wondered what it was every day.

"Uh oh," Drew drawled after he finished his plate of food.

Both Brianna and May turned to him with confused expressions on their faces.

"What?" Brianna asked him.

"It's going to rain soon. Look."

Brianna and May looked up to find the clouds moving into the path of the sun, casting a shadow across the open field. The sky itself was taking on a grayish tone, showing that it would in fact rain soon. Judging by the ever darkening color, it would be raining heavily, and for a long time.

May gaped as she swallowed the last bit of her food and set down the empty plate.

"Great, now we're going to be delayed on our way to Fuchsia and the way to get there is going to be all muddy," she groaned.

"There's no helping that now—we can't stop the sky if it wants to rain," Drew told her as he stood up. "Let's just hurry and get our tents set up. We can put the dishes away if we have time before the rain starts."

The four pokémon were withdrawn into their PokéBalls before Brianna, Drew and May began to set up the tents. The three of them figured it would be best to get them out of the way in case the rain were to spontaneously begin to drizzle down. With three fire-types out in the open, it was the best thing to do to avoid them being pelted by something that they were weak against.

After they were gone and out of the way, the coordinators went for their tents. As the sky continued to grow dark, threatening to release rain with every passing minute, the three of them raced to get the structures up. Drew was the first to finish setting up his tent and had went to go help Brianna's with hers first considering the fact that she was almost done.

May, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling greatly with her setup.

"May, stop—you're going to rip your tent if you keep that up," he told the girl as he bound over to her.

Wrapping a hand around her hip, he gently tugged her away from her tent to help her adjust one of the poles.

"What're you doing? Get off me!" May exclaimed.

Blush flew to her cheeks when she felt her back press against Drew's chest and she immediately pried his hand off from her.

"You're not doing it right," Drew insisted, while trying to ignore the pain that her action caused. "I'm just trying to help."

"Why don't you mind your own tent? I'm fine."

"I'm already done."

"Then help Brianna."

"Brianna's done, too."

May growled angrily and prepared to turn her head around to snap at Drew.

"Fine, then find something else to—," she began to say until her speech was cut off when her lips came in contact with Drew's.

May's breath stopped and her heart sped up when she registered what had just happened. Drew stared back at her, equally as shocked. He hadn't realized how close he had had her pressed against him until he felt those soft lips of hers graze his.

How many times since he met her had he dreamt of the moment when his lips would touch hers? He had always wondered where the kiss would take place, what would have led to it, how it would have been. He never thought that it would have happened the way that it did. Certainly not spontaneously in a field when his intention had been to help her set up her tent, _not_ kiss her.

As thrilled as he felt for being able to have felt May's lips for the first time, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. Their first kiss was not meant to have happened the way that it did. It was supposed to be so much more romantic, so much more meaningful. It wasn't supposed to be so unexpected, so unintentional on both parts.

And it wasn't supposed to be so brief! He didn't even know if their first kiss qualified as a kiss. It hadn't even lasted two seconds!

He didn't even know if he wanted it to qualify or not.

"I'm fine, just...go help pack up the dishes or something. I'll be fine," May assured him, turning her head to try to mask the emotions being displayed on her face.

Whether or not she was referring to the tent or herself after the kiss, Drew couldn't tell. He simply nodded, despite the fact that she couldn't see, and turned to walk away.

Brianna, having witnessed the whole exchange, but missed the kiss, watched them with concern but said nothing.

The rain ended up being a lot heavier than the three of them had anticipated. It bucketed down onto the world, drenching everything with precipitation within seconds. Luckily, it didn't start until the three coordinators had packed everything up and got into the shelter of their tents.

However, two of them probably wouldn't have minded being caught out in the rain. They would have liked to have the drops wash away the troubling thoughts that were plaguing their mind after the incident.

Brianna fell asleep within seconds after she got herself settled into her sleeping bag, but neither Drew or May had the luxury of attaining slumber so quickly. Drew wiggled around in his sleeping bag, unable to get the memory of his and her accidental kiss out of his mind.

May suffered from the same problem, except the pounding of the rain and the occasional rumbles of lightning had to do with her restlessness as well.

Drew found himself standing before May's tent after he heard her let out a startled yelp when thunder sounded in the distance. The rain managed to drench his head and shoulders even in the short amount of time that it took for him to unzip the opening of the structure and step into it. He peered around the darkness of the interior, searching for May, but her sleeping bag was unzipped and empty.

"May?" he whispered after he zipped the opening back up.

A whimper came in response, and a brunette girl lifted her head to meet his eyes from where she sat huddled in a corner of the tent.

"Oh, May!" Drew gasped and crossed the floor of the tent to get to her.

She didn't even protest when he gathered her into his arms. Instead, she buried herself further into his embrace and shivered against his chest.

It seemed to be a long while until the thunder became just a low rumbling in the distance. By then, Drew's hair had nearly dried completely and May had almost fallen asleep, until she realized that Drew was holding her. She pulled away from him in surprise and drew her knees up to her chest, drawing her arms around them to keep them in place.

"What're you doing in here?" she asked him softly.

Drew appraised her for a moment before answering.

"I heard you scream, so I came to check on you," he told her.

"Oh, okay," May muttered simply, unable to think of a better response.

An awkward silence followed.

Another crash of thunder bellowed throughout the area in which they were currently camping out. It was loud enough that it was able to drown out the scream that May unleashed. Without intention, she flung herself back into Drew's arms, shivering with fright.

His arms immediately went around to embrace her. A whimper could be heard from her as another flash of lightning erupted from outside her tent, illuminating the inside for a moment. In that brief moment, Drew saw her squeeze her eyes shut, and his heart went out to her.

"Shhh," he soothed, hugging her close as she whimpered again as lightning echoed once more. "It's okay."

May lifted her head as she felt Drew's hand wrap around the back of her head, pulling it to his shoulder. She flinched away when her cheek touched the coldness of his damp shoulders. He looked down as she did so, eying her with concern.

History repeated itself at that moment when their eye met. They were suddenly back in Lavender Town, in the Pokémon Center, lying together on May's bed. The world around them fell away, the sound of thunder drowned out. They felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing but each other.

And just like that day, Drew found himself leaning toward her, inching their lips closer and closer together. If only she would just let him kiss her—for real this time—then he would be the happiest guy in the world. If only she would just let him kiss her, and mean it, then they could finally get their relationship started. He could finally pull her into his arms whenever he liked, and not just for times when she needed comfort, or when she was afraid of thunder. He could finally kiss her whenever he liked, and not have to worry about whether or not the kiss meant something. He could finally call her his girlfriend, and not have to yearn for the privilege every day.

But of course, like that day, May pulled away before their lips could even make contact.

Drew was crushed. She had pulled away _yet again_. How many times would she pull away until she would willingly allow him to kiss her? How many times would she pull away until she would accept him, take him as her boyfriend? How many times would she pull away until she would finally admit to having feelings for him?

"How do you feel about me, May?" he finally asked. "Tell me the truth. I know you feel something for me, but something's holding you back and keeping you from admitting it. Put that something aside and tell me the truth."

He wanted to know—just _had_ to know—what her answer was. Beating around the bush wasn't going to help him anymore; he needed to be straightforward, to confront her head on.

May shook her head stubbornly.

"I don't feel anything," she insisted, trying to convince herself as well as him, but she even had trouble convincing herself, let alone Drew.

Of course he could see through her lie. It was so obvious that she felt something for him; she wouldn't have let them get as far as they had gotten if she didn't. She wouldn't still be in his arms if she didn't. She wouldn't feel so torn if she didn't.

But she couldn't admit it. Why couldn't she admit it?

When the answers came to her, she hated herself.

Gary and Brendan were the reasons. She still knew for a fact that she still had feelings for Gary, so she didn't want to admit her feelings for Drew, because she felt as if she would be cheating them both in some way. And she still felt incredibly guilty about Brendan, so she didn't want to admit her feelings for Drew because she felt like she would be dumping salt on Brendan's wounds. She didn't want to begin anything with Drew if Gary and Brendan were still in the picture, so she would rather lie to him than tell him the truth.

She just didn't realize that the lie was hurting Drew even more than the truth would. Especially since he knew the truth.

"I don't believe you," Drew told her, his voice absolute and sure.

"But I don't!" May cried out. _Believe the lie, please believe the lie, _she plead in her head. "All I feel is guilt! _All along_ I've been feeling guilt. Guilt for leading you on...guilt for betraying my feelings for Gary...guilt for what I did to Brendan...I...I just..."

Drew shook his head the entire time as she tried to convince him—tried to convince _herself_—that she was telling the truth. She was lying. Why couldn't she just tell the truth? The _entire_, _honest_ truth? He knew it, she just needed to come out and admit it. The situation was getting ridiculous. She was hurting them both by lying.

"I'm so sorry, Drew," she finally croaked out. "I'm so sorry."

Burying her head into his shoulder, she began to shake her head. She hated herself so much.

The thunder and lightning were the only things that filled the silence after that.

Some time as she cried her eyes out, May had drifted to sleep. Drew held her to himself the entire time, smoothing down her hair in an attempt to soothe them both. It worked for May, but not for him. It would take a lot more than that.

He eventually carried her over to and tucked her into the sleeping bag when he noticed that she had fallen asleep. Then, with extreme care, he moved her hair away from her face and pressed his lips to her cheek before he went to sleep on the floor as far away from her as the tent would allow.

_At least that kiss was meaningful and intentional_, he thought to himself bitterly, his back facing her.

His aching heart kept him awake for hours until the sound of the dying rain lulled him to sleep.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> ...tear. :'( I got pretty choked up as I was editing this chapter. I'll try to make the next chapter more cheerful. Hope you enjoyed, please review. :)


	22. Reaching Fuchsia

**Update June 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>Thank you all so much for helping me reach the 400 review mark! I'm mega happy! Please keep those reviews coming, I appreciate each and every one! Thanks so much again and happy reading! :D<p>

P.S. Please know that I'm not intentionally late. Fanfiction refused to let me sign in so I couldn't update on time. Don't blame me. :(

_**Responses to Reviews...  
><strong>_**_LAPKat:_**_ Lol! I'm mean, aren't I? And I'm glad! I'm sure you had tons of fun! :D  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ HAHAHAH! The make-out sessions are going to have to wait until later on! And I liked your idea about the rant to Brianna! It was funny! ;D  
><em>_**ElsieLorraine:**__ Thank you! You're very sweet. :D  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ They should, shouldn't they? :(  
><em>_**AiLoveAkuma:**__ Thank you very much! :D  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ She is! What a mean person she is. :P  
><em>_**MapleRoses:**__ LOL! Thanks for pointing that out! I completely missed it when I was editing the chapter! She _does_ like Drew in the anime (_obsess_ is the better word though *rolls eyes*) but I can't stand her personality in the anime, so I decided to make her the way she is in my story instead. :)  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ I much prefer this Brianna, too. The one in the anime made me want to tear off her head. :P  
><em>_**Claudette14: **__I am very happy! We're both great (even though you're more great, I'm JUST SAYING) :D And yes! I'm sure everyone was expecting for me to make her evil, but I didn't! I was going to originally, but then I decided against it! And I am doing very well, thanks! What about you? :)  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ She is :(  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ I swear I answered those questions, but in case you missed them, here are the answers again :P I have always been Peeta and Katniss from the first book to the last! I just love them so much! :D Growlithe and Vulpix aren't exactly a couple yet, but I could make them one (everyone seems to like them together xP). Vulpix had been in the same area as Growlithe at the time, but it was off to the side so Drew and May didn't notice it. :)  
><em>_**May Rose:**__ Very soon! Don't you worry! :D  
><em>_**LuvPeaceCandy:**__ I know! D:  
><em>_**Angel-of-Energy:**__ Haha! He didn't actually, I forgot to include it, but I figured everyone would assume that he gave one to her some time throughout the course of the day. :P As for Drew and May's battle together in a contest, it may happen eventually some time later in the story! Keep your eyes out for it :D  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Aw! I had something similar happen to me once. :( And I know! I wish the creators of the anime would've made them an official couple in the anime. It was cute. :P But I hope you don't mind that I may not be able to use all of your pokémon in this story! It's going to be pretty hard to incorporate all of them. Maybe you could give me the two pokémon that you want to appear in this story the most? I'll be doing one appeal for one pokémon and a battle for the other, so be sure to specify which pokémon you want for which (if that makes sense haha). :)  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies:**__ It's fine! I think everyone pities Drew! The poor guy, I'm so mean. ;D  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ You need to sleep! How was winter camp?  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ Hehehe, Brianna the Matchmaker. ;)  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ I'm sorry for only being able to update once every week. Maybe I'll be update more once the end of the school year draws closer to a close? :D  
><em>_**KK:**__ Hi there! I'll be bringing in a lot of everyone's favorite characters from the anime in! Just you wait. As for when, you'll just have to keep reading to find out! ;D  
><em>_**Namcitaable:**__ It does! I once liked this guy and I didn't tell him my feelings. Guess what happened? He ended asking another girl out on Valentine's Day. The worse part? I found out that he liked me at the same time that I liked him, but because I wasn't honest, I lost my chance. :(  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ You reread it? Thanks! :D And I didn't know that either! I was so surprised when I saw it on serebii! You can really learn a lot from that website haha! I just love when pokémon use moves that aren't the same type as them. For example: your luxray and Ice Fang. That's so cool. :D I'll try to incorporate Drew's flygon! I've always liked that pokémon!  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Thank you very much :)  
><em>_**Itssupereffective:**__ Your review meant so much to me! Thank you so much! It was very kind of you to say that. :)  
><em>_**Love My Writing Or Else:**__ Why, hello there! I agree that Gary is a very distant character since he hasn't made many cameos, but he's not important yet! You're very kind to have said all that you said! Thank you so much! :D  
><em>_**Shriekmon: **__Lol, aren't they? :D_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 22<strong>

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><p>The first things that May noticed in the morning were two roses laying side by side. Their fresh, floral scent had woken her up before she had even opened her eyes. When she did, she saw them lying beside her head on her sleeping bag.<p>

A folded note was tucked beneath their thornless stems, and she propped herself up on one elbow to reach for it. Even before she saw the slanted, messy handwriting, she already knew that Drew had left them for her. Her heart clenched at the first two words.

_I'm sorry about everything that happened yesterday. I didn't mean to interrogate or push you the way that I did, and I definitely didn't mean to make you cry. It killed me to see those tears—I never want to see you cry, let alone be the one behind those tears. Please forgive me and forget about it? I'd like us to go on as if yesterday never happened._

_Drew_

May raked a hand through her hair with the hopes of relieving some stress and keeping the fresh tears in her eyes at bay. A whimper escaped from her mouth as she did so; she couldn't keep that from slipping. Reading Drew's note had been one of the hardest things that she had ever had to do in her life. She could forgive him, sure, but how could she forget all that happened yesterday? He made it sound as if it were the easiest task in the world, when in reality, it was far more difficult than that. They had kissed for crying out loud! Even if it had been a brief, accidental kiss, their lips had still touched. She had still kissed a guy who wasn't Gary Oak—and she still felt terrible about it.

But she didn't understand why she was letting the kiss get to her so much. If she were still so sure about her feelings with Gary then she shouldn't be feeling so many conflicting emotions, right? She should have pushed Drew away the instant their lips touched. She shouldn't even have let him get close enough to her in the first place.

And her heart shouldn't have raced as fast as it did when Gary kissed her forehead at prom.

Why couldn't she just make up her mind already? Why couldn't she just say with absolute certainty that Gary was the only one in her heart? Or why couldn't she just admit that she was developing feelings for Drew? Why did she have to feel so guilty about the whole situation as if it were a crime to like two people at once?

It wasn't, especially since one of the guys was in an entirely different region, while the other was with her every day. So, why couldn't she just forget about the former and accept the latter?

And why did she have to have so many questions running through her mind? She was overthinking things and making the situation far more complicated than it was or needed to be.

It was ridiculous, really—she could just march out of her tent and tell Drew the truth. She could just tell him that she liked him, and then plant the biggest kiss on his lips. She could just get their relationship started right then and there.

But then Gary popped into her head again. His charming smile. His dazzling eyes. His amazing hair. His comforting hugs. His gentle kiss on her forehead...

May let out a frustrated growl and shoved Drew's note into her travel bag. She couldn't think anymore; it was driving her crazy. Running a hand through her hair again, she stood up, unzipped the entrance to her tent and slipped out of the structure.

Drew sat on the ground directly across from her tent, packing up his tent and sleeping bag.

"Good morning," May greeted as she approached him, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible. "You're up early."

Drew looked up at her in surprise that quickly vanished into a look of unease.

"Good morning," he greeted back. "I was just about to go get you...but I didn't know..."

"It's okay," May inserted kindly. "Have you been up long?"

Drew felt himself relax at her tone. Small talk was nice. It meant that things between them weren't as awkward as he had thought they would be.

"Only about an hour," he answered.

"Oh, I overslept then." She looked around. "Where's Brianna?"

"She went down to the stream to wash up before we set out again. If we leave when she gets back, we'll be able to make it to Fuchsia in the afternoon."

"That's good. We can make it there in time for the contest."

"Yeah. We have to dress up for it though, apparently. Have you gotten your outfit?"

"Uh huh. I called my mom while we were in Lavender. She said she'll have it waiting for me at the Pokémon Center."

"That's good," Drew said with a smile, but it fell as quickly as it had come. "Did you get my note?"

May nodded. She had known that he would ask her that question.

"So, I'm forgiven?"

May nodded again, a kind smile on her face.

"Everything that happened yesterday is put behind us?"

May nodded a final time. "Yeah, we can go on as if nothing happened at all," she reassured, smiling at Drew's relieved grin when he heard her words. "By the way, why'd you give me two roses? I thought it was only one a day."

"It is. I forgot to give you one yesterday, though, so I gave you another one to make up for it."

"I thought you said we were going to pretend as if yesterday'd never happened?"

"Well, in that case, give it back," Drew told her and extended a hand, wiggling his fingers jokingly.

"No—it's mine," May insisted with a playful grin.

"Fine," he stated, smirking back. "Can I ask for something in exchange for it then?"

"What?"

"A hug."

May laughed as Drew spread his arms wide.

After taking a few steps to get close enough to him, she plopped herself down on the ground and eased herself into his chest. His arms went around her at the same time that hers went around him.

"I'm glad you're still letting me hug you," Drew murmured, while he turned his head to rest his cheek against the top of May's, making her stomach flutter.

"Yeah, well, don't fall asleep on me," she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Drew chuckled and pulled away from her.

"Of course not," he responded as he stood up and offered a hand to her. "Come on, we have to pack up your stuff so that we can get going."

May took his hand and allowed him to hoist her back up. He let go of hers the second she got back on her feet and walked with her back to her tent.

A couple hours later—after Brianna returned from the stream and all of their belongings were packed up—the trio got back on the road to Fuchsia City.

There were no signs around them that there had been a rainstorm in the area the night before. A perfect combination of warm and cool climates hung in the air. The sunlight was a pleasant warmth on their backs. The breeze was a gentle fan in their faces and hair. It was the perfect weather to travel to their destination in.

"I wonder if the weather'll be this nice on the day of the contest," Brianna mused as she walked along the trail.

"How come?" Drew inquired from her right.

"Because it's not too cold and not too hot. I would hate to have to participate in a contest on a blazing hot day."

"We're going to be inside a building, though," Drew laughed as May yawned on his right. "Why does it matter what kind of weather it is out?"

"How do you know the air conditioner won't break or something?" Brianna challenged. "Accidents happen after all."

"What are the odds of that happening?"

"I don't know. I'm not a statistician."

"It doesn't take a statistician to determine that the odds of the air conditioner breaking are pretty small."

"Be quiet, Drew—no one asked you."

"Hey, I'm just saying. No need to get snappy," Drew joked, while holding his hands up toward the redhead in a surrendering gesture.

The brunette beside him clutched her stomach and frowned.

"I was just saying, too, but you had to go comment!" Brianna shot back with a laugh, and nudged him in the ribs.

May's frown deepened.

"Okay, okay—I give! Don't nudge me," Drew cried, and nudged her back.

Brianna chortled and prodded him again. "Then don't nudge me back, Hayden!"

"Then stop nudging me altogether, Lawrence," Drew said with a grin, and returned her shove.

Brianna didn't voice a response. Instead, she glared at him playfully and nudged him once more. The nudges after that followed without words.

May bit back a groan as they continued to flirt and ignore her.

"Are you okay, May?" Brianna asked after she finally noticed the brunette's displeasure.

Drew turned to glance at May at the sound of the words. The hope that he felt seeped into his features. Could she be jealous?

"I'm tired and hungry," May groaned.

As if on cue, her stomach grumbled and she groaned again.

Drew felt disappointed. Of course she wouldn't be jealous.

"You're always tired and hungry," he pointed out rather bitterly.

"It's not my fault that I have an extremely fast metabolism," May offered in her own defense.

"We just ate two hours ago."

"_Two and a half_ hours ago—and we've been walking for the majority of that time. A fast metabolism plus a lot of walking equals an empty stomach."

"Bravo, May the Mathematician," Drew applauded sarcastically.

May's eyes narrowed at him in response.

"Drew, don't be mean," Brianna snapped and shoved him out of the way to get to May. "We'll be there soon, May. There's only a little less than a mile left," she assured, and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Thanks, Brianna. At least _you're_ caring," May sneered, her eyes still glowering at Drew.

Said guy rolled his eyes and turned away from her.

"Don't mind, Drew. He's being unreasonably annoying at the moment," Brianna instructed her.

A cheeky smile graced her features as he turned to glare at her, but it was quickly wiped off when she tripped over a particularly large rock. Neither Drew nor May had enough time to react before she crashed to the ground with a yelp.

"Brianna!" May cried in alarm, and immediately bent down to help her friend up.

The redhead winced as she tried to put weight on her foot only to moan when the effort caused her pain. She nearly fell back over before Drew caught her around waist.

"Brianna! What's wrong?" he asked her.

"My ankle. I think I sprained it," Brianna groaned as she leaned into Drew.

"Can you walk?" May asked, eying the girl with concern.

Brianna bit her lip. "I don't know, let me try," she said and tried to take a step forward.

To both her and May's surprise, she hadn't even touched her foot to the ground before Drew bent down and hoisted her up into his arms. She gasped, while May gaped.

"I don't think you should be walking with a sprained ankle," he told Brianna. "I'll carry you to the Pokémon Center."

With those words, he headed forward with Brianna in his arms, leaving a dumbfounded May behind.

* * *

><p>May stood off to the side as Drew checked the three of them into the Fuchsia City Pokémon Center.<p>

Brianna was leaning on him as he kept his arm around her waist. Every so often, she would accidentally put too much weight on her sprained ankle and ended up jumping in pain. When that happened, Drew would reposition his arm and readjust his hold on her so that none of her weight would be put on the injury. She would then inevitably wind up leaning on him more. The blush on her cheeks was beginning to rival her fiery red hair in color with each passing second.

"Alright, you guys are all checked in. Now, would you all please follow me to the Health Suite so we can get Brianna's ankle checked out," the city's Nurse Joy said after she finished typing in the trio's information.

Standing up, she gestured to the hallway on her left to designate the three of them in the right direction.

Drew nodded and picked Brianna up into his arms again to carry her to the Health Suite.

May slowly brought herself to follow Drew and Nurse Joy after she got over some of her shock. No one seemed to notice that her thoughts were making her trail behind them. She had been wondering ever since Brianna sprained her ankle if it was her hunger making her delusional, or if she was truly watching Drew walk around with Brianna in his arms.

But he was, and she had been feeling an awkward rage burning inside of her ever since.

Why was the sight bothering her so much? Brianna had sprained her ankle and was incapable of walking. It was only natural that Drew would be the one between the two of them to carry her. Chivalry wasn't dead after all, and May doubted she would have been able to carry Brianna very far.

But it still didn't keep her from wondering why Drew had been so eager to take Brianna up into his arms. Neither her nor Brianna had had the time to register a thing before he had scooped Brianna up and carried her away. He hadn't even bothered to glance back at May to make sure that she was following them.

Could he have been over her already? If so, how could he have possibly gotten over her that fast?

The memories of the night before were still fresh in her mind. Nothing about his actions had even hinted that he had been getting over her. If anything, he seemed to have felt more strongly for her than he had when he confessed to her.

Or had she just imagined that? Perhaps he _had_ been getting over her and she had just been missing all of the hints. Maybe the kiss had made him realize that he didn't feel as strongly for her as he had thought. Maybe that was why he gave up so easily when she refused to tell him the truth in her tent. Maybe that was why he had written the note and asked for her to go on as if the day before had never happened. Maybe he had already gotten over her and had begun to develop feelings for Brianna instead.

The number of possibilities hurt May's head.

Was getting over her really that easy?

Was she really that replaceable?

"Everything's fine with Brianna," Drew's voice suddenly informed, startling May out of her thoughts.

She hadn't realized that she had subconsciously lingered at the wall across from the door of the Health Suite until she looked up to find Drew exiting the room through the doorway.

He appraised her with seemingly no concern on his face. Did he not see the hurt etched on her face?

"She should be able to participate in the contest this weekend if she stays in bed most of the time and ices her ankle," he informed, and then appraised her. "Do you want to go get some food now? I need to get her something to eat, anyway."

May shook her head and dropped her eyes, unable to look at him any longer.

"It's fine. I'm going to make a call home first," she insisted in the most normal voice she could manage.

Drew cocked an eyebrow at her. "I thought you said you were hungry?"

"Not anymore. You just go on ahead—I'll come back after the call."

Without waiting for a response, May pushed off the wall and headed out into the lobby.

The phone buzzed after May dialed the number to her house in Lilycove City. She tapped her fingers against the seat that she was sitting on as she waited impatiently for someone in her family to pick up. The fire raging on in her stomach seemed to be growing larger as her impatience fed her chagrin. It didn't help when she realized that Drew hadn't even bothered to come see what was wrong with her.

Actually, as she thought about it, she didn't think the grasshead had even realized that there was something wrong with her to begin with. She gripped the edge of the seat to try to quell her anger.

"Hello?"

May genuinely smiled at the sight of her little brother on the screen. It had been a while since she had last seen his face.

"Hi, Maxie," she greeted.

"May!" Max cried enthusiastically at the sight of his sister. A huge grin grew on his face, lifting the corners of his eyes in an endearing way. "How've ya been? I saw you on TV a few days ago when you won that contest in Lavender. How ya feeling?"

"I'm doing and feeling great," May lied, though she tried to hide that fact with a forced smile.

Max's eyes narrowed behind his glasses and his smile dropped from his face as he detected the pseudo happiness in her smile.

"You're fake-smiling," he correctly accused. "Why are you fake-smiling?"

May mentally kicked herself in the back of the head. Of course Max would be able to see through her fake smile. With his brains and knowledge of her, it had always been difficult for May to lie to him. But it never really stopped May from trying.

"I'm not fake-smiling," she insisted. "I just reached Fuchsia City and haven't had dinner yet, so I'm just a little tired, that's all."

"You're calling home _before_ you eat?" Max inquired with disbelief. "Now, I know for sure that something's wrong with you. Spill. Who do I have to hurt for hurting you?"

May smiled in spite of herself. Her little brother was being defensive of her. How sweet.

"No one hurt me. I'm really fine, Max," she assured.

Max didn't seem convinced in the slightest.

"Where's Drew?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as May shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"He's getting himself some food," she offered, and quickly changed the subject before Max could try to coax anything out of her. "Can you get Mom for me? I need to talk to her about my contest dress."

May watched as Max shook his head and placed the phone down. He waved to her to signal that he would be leaving and went to go retrieve their mother. The kind woman plopped herself down in the seat a few seconds later.

"Hi, Mommy," May greeted.

"Hi, sweetheart," the brunette woman responded gently. "How are you?"

"I'm fine—I just got to Fuchsia City twenty minutes ago. How have you been, Mom?"

"I've been well, just missing you and your father. He left last weekend to head back to Petalburg. Who knows how long he'll be gone this time," her mother replied with a playful eye roll. "How's your journey been coming along? Is everything okay with traveling with Drew?"

"Yeah," May lied again, and quickly rushed to change the subject once more. "Could you send me my contest dress, Mom? I'm going to need it for the contest this weekend. It's in a black garment bag in my closet."

"Sure, dear—I'll have it sent over to the Pokémon Center later on tonight," Caroline promised her daughter before eying her with concern. "Honey?"

"Yeah, Mom?"

"Why are you fake-smiling?"

May nearly slammed her face into the screen. Was her smile really that fake?

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well, there you go. I hope I made all of you happy since everyone seemed to be waiting for some of May's jealousy. Did you like? Thanks for reading. Please review! :) Sorry about the delay again, just remember that I _was_ going to update on time before fanfiction decided to deny me my log in to my account. :(


	23. Shock

**Update June 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>Sorry about my lateness again guys. This time, it wasn't just fanfiction's fault, it was mine and my dad's. Lol, he decided he wanted to switch internet services on Friday so I had to wait until today for the technician to get to my house and set everything up. I tried updating on my phone yesterday so that the chapter would get up on time, but unfortunately, fanfiction has yet to make that function possible for iPhones, so that didn't work out. Then I had a party to go to earlier today, so I couldn't update earlier, either! And then, when I got home and tried to update, fanfiction wouldn't update the chapter! I know, excuses, excuses, but all those things really happened! At least I'm only a day late, though, eh?<p>

Anyhoo, I'm thinking that the next three chapters are going to be very long because I'm going to be cramming in a lot of events into one chapter. Why? Because I'm more than ready to get Drew and May's relationship started! I was originally going to drag everything out for about another six chapters or so, but that would mean more waiting for you guys and myself. Six weeks of waiting? I don't think so. So, without further ado, here's chapter 23 of my story! Happy reading, please review. :)

**Note to FlygonFan:** Your character, Myra, will be making her cameo in this chapter! I actually had to change a few details about your appeal for the sake of the story, but I made sure to only change the minor details. For example, instead of having both your empoleon and blaziken in the appeal, I took out empoleon and used Zephyr because the other coordinators are only going to be using one pokémon to appeal. Tell me what you think! :)

**_Responses to Reviews...  
>FlygonFan:<em>**_ Haha okay :)  
><em>**_EeveeTransformed:_**_ I did mention it, but I think it was in a response to another reviewer's review. :P I'm planning on having at least 40 chapters!_ **_  
>Pear-Shaped:<em>**_ Hehehe, poor Brianna :) Glad to have made your day!_ **_  
>Claudette14:<em>**_ Thanks! :D They'll be together eventually!_ **_  
>PinkBlackSk8tr:<em>**_ Lol, I fail at fake-smiling ;D  
><em>**_Angel-of-Energy:_**_ Thank you! :)_ **_  
>LoveLoverGrl:<em>**_ He is! And I feel like doing the same thing sometimes! But of course I can't considering the fact that I'm the _author_ haha. ;P_ **_  
>Pelkasauras -Cherry3456:<em>**_ Thank you very much! I'm happy that I made your day with my update. Hopefully this update made your day again? :)_ **_  
>The Last Poison Apple:<em>**_ Haha, that was what I was going for!_ **_  
>LuvPeaceCandy:<em>**_ I know right? Fail whale! :F  
><em>**_Monochrome13:_**_ I don't know, I think a certain brunette may just be jealous. ;)  
><em>**_Chi-Chiwawa:_**_ You had some very good theories! Thanks for everything you said! I'll be sure to read your story whenever I can find time to! And just be patient with the reviews! Don't be discouraged! You'll be getting more as you go on! :)_ **_  
>chocolatehell:<em>**_ Well, I wrote the "tired and hungry" part to be honest lol. The parts that followed were pure jealousy :D As for the "shameless advertising" on my profile...of course I had to go through with it! I really do genuinely enjoy your stories and I really admire your writing talent! How could I _not_ go on about your stories? Hope you didn't mind. xD And I hope your writer's block goes away soon!_ **_  
>Fprmr1:<em>**_ I am_ beyond_ excited! You should see how I get every time I see the commercial for the movie! I'm like an overly obsessed fangirl! Well, maybe I _am_ one. xD And I read your fic and I liked it! Did you get my reviews?_ **_  
>Sora-May:<em>**_ Just like I do! :D _**_  
>Love My Writing Or Else:<em>**_ Sorry about the "lack of potential" of the chapter. To be honest, it was more of a filler chapter than anything because it was supposed to build up for_this_ chapter! And I also didn't have much time to write last week...hehe xP And you didn't offend me! Constructive criticism is good whenever it's needed! How else do people improve if their mistakes aren't pointed out for them to fix them? :)_ **_  
>dorkyreader859:<em>**_ I love your username! I'm dorky, too haha. xD_ **_  
>ElseLorraine:<em>**_ Haha, thank you! :D But don't worry about your siblings. I have none, but the next closest things (my cousins) wouldn't be able to detect something fake in my smile to save their lives!_ **_  
>LAPKat:<em>**_ Care to give me some lessons? I could use some ;D Thanks!_  
><strong><em>Pokemaster:<em>**_ If you thought_ that_ was jealous, wait until you see how jealous she gets in the next couple chapters. ;)  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97: **__Haha, thanks! Caroline and Max saw right through her, eh? ;D_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 23<strong>

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><p>"Hey, Brianna. How're you feeling?"<p>

Brianna lifted her head from where she sat perched on the end of her bed. After marking her place in the book that she was reading, she turned to the door of her room to meet the eyes of her visitor.

"Hi, May," she greeted merrily with a smile. "I'm feeling great. My ankle's completely healed, so I can wear heels tomorrow at the contest and not have it be a suicide attempt."

May laughed at the hearty joke. "That's good—I can't say the same for myself, though," she said. "I made the mistake of picking a pair of five-inch heels to go with my dress."

"_Five_? May! That's a whole suicide attempt and a half!"

"Hey! It's technically only four inches without the one-inch platform!"

"I know. I was just kidding," the redhead said with a cheeky smile. "Mine are four-and-a-quarter inches, and I don't even have a platform."

"Oh, and I thought _my _heels were bad."

Brianna gave a goofy grin in response to May's playful eye roll. As the brunette came closer to the bed, she was able to reach out to grab May's wrist to pull her closer.

May eyed her hopeful expression with caution.

"Can I ask for a favor?" Brianna asked her, while still smiling cheekily.

"What's the favor?" May asked her back hesitantly.

"There's this horror movie playing on TV right now, but I'm too scared to watch it on my own. Will you watch it with me?"

May had to laugh. "I don't think I'm the best person to be watching a horror movie with. I'll be more scared than you are."

"Not if we're together! Horror movies are always easier to watch with a friend!"

"Ah, whatever," May sighed as she plopped down next to Brianna. "You'll owe me after this then."

"I'll give you the best repayment ever," Brianna promised and quickly grabbed the remote to turn on the TV.

There was something behind the huge grin that was present on her face, but May couldn't quite decide what it was.

As the TV came to life, Brianna was disappointed to find out that the movie had long started. The mutant krookodiles had already developed the ability to thrive in water and had since been terrorizing the population of a small island. Several people and pokémon had been reported missing or eaten by the mutants, but the gory scenes had already passed.

Having missed the beginning, Brianna quickly lost interest and reverted to making conversation with May.

"Did your mom send you the dress for your appeal tomorrow yet?" she asked.

"Yeah, she sent it to me two nights ago when we got here," May told her. "Did you get yours yet?"

"Uh huh, my uncle delivered it to me here last night. I'd show you, but I'm too lazy to get up."

May rolled her eyes and playfully swatted Brianna on the arm before she asked, "Your uncle lives in Fuchsia?"

"Yeah," Brianna responded without taking her eyes off the screen.

The beady black eyes of a krookodile had just appeared in the water as an unknowing man walked past the water's edge. Brianna shuddered involuntarily when the creepy background music began to play.

"Speaking of which, I'm going to stay in Fuchsia after the contest is over," she announced. "I haven't seen my uncle and aunt in a long time, so I'm going to stay with them a while."

"Aw, you're staying?" May asked, sounding rather disappointed. She had been enjoying Brianna's company.

Brianna nodded. "I don't know how I'm going to tell Drew, though," she murmured as she brought her fingernails to her teeth.

May stiffened. "Tell Drew?" she repeated.

The uncomfortable coiling feeling of jealousy returned in May's stomach after its short absence all day.

Ever since the day that Brianna sprained her ankle, Drew had been paying more and more attention to the redhead than before. He stopped by her room constantly to check on her condition, and brought her all of her meals, despite the availability of room service.

And he had seldom paid any attention to May, often disregarding her whenever the three of them were in the same room. Every time any of those things happened, the twisting feeling in her gut would reappear.

But she couldn't figure out why the mere mentioning of Drew's name from Brianna's mouth would get the feeling to return. The grasshead wasn't even in the room!

"Yeah, I don't want to leave him so soon," Brianna whispered, and diverted her gaze to the bed. After a moment, she flicked them over to May. "Can I tell you a secret?"

May barely managed to get the word out. "S-sure."

"I think I've fallen for Drew."

"_What_?"

"I can't help myself! He's just so cute and sweet and caring! And when he lifted me up into his arms...ugh, it'd take one heck of a girl to _not_ fall for him after that," the redhead gushed. "And there's just something about his greenness! Tell me it's not attractive."

May felt like she was going to pass out. The world had begun to spin and her mouth had begun to dry out. She couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, couldn't _sit_ properly. If Brianna liked Drew then a relationship between the two would surely be on the horizon. It was obvious that Drew had developed feelings for Brianna, or else he wouldn't have been so caring toward her for the past two days. He had outgrown his feelings for May and put them to rest when he wrote her the note! He had written it because he had decided that he wanted Brianna instead!

Screw herself for inviting Brianna to travel with her and Drew. She had invited her own replacement to come and steal her place!

But then realization struck her, and she suddenly felt like smacking herself on the back of the head. Why was she letting the situation get to her? Why was she so jealous over Drew and Brianna's potential relationship? Hadn't she wanted this from the moment she invited Brianna to join them?

She had wanted a distraction to give her some time to think through her feelings for Gary and Drew. She had wanted time to decide on her choice between the two. She should be thrilled that she didn't need either things anymore.

The decision had been made for her. Drew and Brianna had each other now, so she would be able to focus on her feelings for Gary. From that moment on, she would force Drew from her mind and focus on Gary, and Gary alone. She liked Gary, and only Gary. Gary Oak, not Andrew Hayden. Brunet, not grasshead.

"I never said there was anything wrong with that! That's great! You guys would be so good together!" she exclaimed merrily, forcing herself to believe that she was truly happy as she drove the little green monster on her back away. "Does he know about your feelings?"

Brianna simply blinked at her excitement. "Um..._no_, but I plan on telling him soon," she eventually said after realizing that her mouth had been slightly agape.

"Want me to tell him? Maybe I could get him to travel with you instead!"

"No!" Brianna cried a little too loudly. "Don't do that! I don't want to travel with him!"

May looked confused. "Why not?"

"He's _your _traveling partner. And I'm going to be staying in Fuchsia for a while, so I don't want to hold him back."

"But—"

"Just don't do it, May."

"...fine."

"Good," Brianna breathed. She hoped May didn't catch the amount of relief in her tone.

A loud scream of terror pierced the air as the krookodile seized the man around the ankle and dragged him into the water.

Both May and Brianna met the sound by letting out shrieks of their own. Without thinking, they grabbed each in a crushing hug before slapping a hand over the other's eyes to help each other look away from the horrors of the movie.

"Is it safe to look yet?" Brianna asked after the screaming subsided.

"No idea," May said, her hand still over Brianna's eyes. "You look first."

"Not a chance. You look first."

"Together?"

"Okay, on the count of three then. One...two...three!"

Silence. Their hands moved from each other's eyes, but neither of them opened them.

"So...is it safe?" Brianna asked.

"I don't know! You said _you _were looking!"

"May! You said we were going to do it _together_!"

"Yeah, but you didn't even look either!" May shot back.

"Why don't we just shut off the TV then?"

"You do it. I can't find the remote."

"Why are you both sitting there with your eyes closed?" Drew's voice suddenly asked from the doorway of Brianna's room.

He had barged in after hearing the screaming, but all he found was the two girls clutching each other on the bed across from the TV with their eyes squeezed shut. They hadn't even noticed him throwing the door open.

Brianna and May slowly opened their eyes, carefully peeking at the TV one millimeter at a time. Once they saw that the movie had been cut off by a commercial about a bulbasaur-shaped pancake gridle, they glanced over at each other and began cracking up.

Drew cocked an eyebrow at them. "You guys were afraid of a pancake gridle?

"No!" Brianna laughed.

"Then what were you guys afraid of?"

"Some horror movie that Brianna wanted me to watch with her," May told him as her laughter died down, leaving a cramp in her stomach. An idea dawned on her after her brain started back up. "But now that you're here, _you _can watch the movie with Brianna! I don't have to sit through this traumatizing thing anymore!"

She turned to Brianna to discreetly waggle her eyebrows at her as she got off the bed. The redhead blinked at her again in surprise.

"I'll see you later Brianna," she said, and took her leave.

Drew moved to the side to allow May to pass by him to get through the door. Both he and Brianna exchanged confused glances between one another after May nudged him into the room, but he didn't notice what May had done after she grabbed the doorknob.

Before closing the door all the way, she had sent Brianna a quick wink and mouthed the words "good luck."

* * *

><p>May toyed with the PokéBall containing her beautifly as Brianna sat beside her on the bench in the back room of the contest building. The two of them, along with the other seven beautifully dressed female coordinators (the guys were in a separate room), were giving their attention to the current appeal taking place just outside the room on the stage. A wall-mount television displayed it as usual.<p>

Myra, a girl with bright blue eyes and curly hair from the Johto region, was currently performing with her blaziken, Zephyr. Like all of the other female coordinators, she wore a dress to meet the requirements of the contest.

The pink and molted orange number that she wore complemented her skin tone nicely. The white strip of fabric that encircled her waist ended in the back with a feminine assortment of faux swanna and moltres feathers that were formed into the shape of a bow, the same feathers also lining the neckline and hem of her dress.

She had on a silver necklace that had a heart-shaped lock charm dangling from it, catching sunlight along with the metallic material of the dress for a shiny effect. To finish off the look, a real lugia feather was intricately laced into her bangs, following the natural shape of her head before ending in thin air. How she had gotten her hands on it, no one knew.

Blaziken's fists ignited in flames at its trainer's command, blazing as fiery red wings began to emerge from its back. It roared as soon as the wings took shape, making white steam streak around it, but it did not move from its spot.

Myra closed her eyes for a moment as more flames sprouted from the pokémon's feet as well, and then reached out with her hand toward her pokémon.

"Ember!" she commanded.

Zephyr widened its beak to shoot out streams of burning embers, which surprised the audience when they made a violent turn toward the pokémon. The flames engulfed it, making its entire body glow with a brilliant orange light that made it look like a polished statue of orange gold.

"Finish off with Aerial Ace!"

Zephyr leapt into the sky, its powerful legs allowing it to reach an incredible height. The burning embers trailed behind it as it left behind a scorching red mark on the stage, where it had been standing a mere moment ago. After reaching a certain point in the air, it somersaulted once, ridding itself of all the flames that had surrounded its body, and then landed back on the stage.

It struck a battle pose as the embers rained back down on it, vanishing in puffs of smoke before they even touched its body, thus putting an end to Myra's performance.

"That was good, don't you think?" Brianna asked after Myra walked off the stage after being rewarded with a high score.

"Yeah, I liked her blaziken a lot," May replied.

"You would. Did it have anything to do with the fact that you have a blaziken, too?"

May nudged Brianna for her teasing. "Shut up," she told the girl and then turned her attention back to the TV. She nudged Brianna again when she saw who was next. "Hey Brianna, look—Drew's next."

Brianna blushed the color of a pecha berry. "Shut up."

May grinned and turned her attention to Drew's performance, trying not to pay any mind to how good he looked in his contest attire. The grey, black satin-lined blazer over the black V-neck tee was too distracting of a combination.

"Masquerain, Blizzard!" Drew commanded after his masquerain conjured a bountiful amount of bubbles in midair.

Doing as it was told, Masquerain released a sheer blanket of ice that flowed out of it like a ribbon in a summer's breeze. Gliding under the bubbles, the ice began to roll the spheres away from around masquerain, freezing them along the way until they hovered above the crowd. They marveled at the beauty of the delicate bubbles that were freshly encased in ice.

"Wrap it up with an Energy Ball," Drew called, keeping his hand in the pocket of his dress pants to give the look of nonchalance.

Masquerain gave a graceful little twirl as it fired out green orbs. They flew out and collided with every single bubble, successfully popping them until all that remained were tiny flakes of ice that fell down on the crowd like snow.

A remarkable score of 29.2 was given to him by the judges for the excellent appeal. The female audience gave him a deafening round of screaming and applause.

"Alright, now I'm nervous. How in the world am I supposed to follow up _that_?" Brianna groaned to May.

"How do you know you're going to be next?" May asked her.

"There are only three people left. I'm going to be next, I just know it. Just watch."

"I guarantee that it won't be you."

"Alright, let's get the next coordinator out here. Jordan, you're up!" Lilian announced into the microphone on the TV screen.

May turned to Brianna with a smug smile as a boy with caramel-colored skin walked onto the stage. "See? Told you so."

"Oh, hush up before I kick you with my heels," Brianna shot back.

May glanced at Brianna's shoes to see how wary of the threat she needed to be. Aside from the tall, skinny heel, she didn't see anything to worry about. The girl would be hurting herself as well if she really did kick May; the open-toed heels would make sure of it. Not to mention, the redhead would be running the risk of damaging the glitter adorned metallic leather of the shoes as well.

"Don't. I like those too much for you to ruin them," May said with a laugh.

"Why, thank you! Do you think they go with my dress?" Brianna responded in a jokingly girly tone. She then made a show of getting up off of the bench and twirling in a circle to give May a full look of her dress.

Brianna had chosen her gown well, May decided, as she appraised the navy blue number. Not only did the color go well with her red hair, but the fit flattered her body in every way possible. A silver brooch rested on her left hip and the gown slit down from there, revealing her entire left leg save for the top half of her thigh that was covered in a piece of the navy satin material of the dress. It and the shoulder straps were specked with silver sequins, giving the dress a bit of glam. Combined with the heels, Brianna looked like she was ready to stroll down a runway.

"Brianna, stop. Everyone's staring," May laughed as she tried to pull the redhead back down onto the bench.

"It's the nerves. I know I'm going to be next, so I'm letting out all of the nervous energy before I start hyperventilating," said girl joked.

"We're the last two coordinators left. You or I could be going next. It's a 50-50 chance."

"Yeah, but did Lilian just call your name? I don't think so."

May shook her head and waved her friend away with a chuckle.

After Brianna left, May watched her appeal for a good fraction of a minute before she got up and headed out into the hallway. She figured that since she was the last coordinator left to go that she wouldn't linger in the back room anymore. Besides, being in the hallway gave her three things that being in the back room couldn't.

One, a better view of Brianna's mystifying appeal with her milotic. The combination of Aqua Ring and Dragon Pulse was positively spellbinding. The audience and judges were in awe.

Two, time to prepare her beautifly for her appeal. The pokémon hadn't been in a contest for some time, so she wanted to make sure that it was okay. Also, it was crucial that beautifly remained out of its PokéBall for her upcoming appeal.

And three, freedom from the scrutinizing eyes of the female coordinators inside the back room. She had yet to determine whether their appraisals of her dress were flattering or insulting.

Regardless, they had been unbearably nerve-wracking.

"May! Is everything all set? You're about to get called!" Brianna exclaimed rather breathlessly as she came up to May from the stage.

"Yeah, I'm all ready," May replied. She took a deep breath to calm herself as her name was called by Lilian and began to walk forward.

"Congrats on your high score, by the way," she whispered to Brianna over her shoulder.

Brianna smiled even though the brunette couldn't see her and whispered back. "Thanks. Good luck, May."

The crowd could be heard loud and clear from both back rooms. Everyone in the audience was instantly captivated by May's appearance, and they chose to express their approval by cheering and applauding loudly.

The female coordinators all scowled at the television for none of them had managed to get such a reaction from the crowd. The male coordinators, on the other hand, all had their eyes widening and their mouths falling open at the sight of May in her contest outfit. The brunette sure knew how to dress to make herself look good.

Drew's initial reaction was nothing short of surprised when he heard the crowd's reaction. He had always known that May was a popular coordinator, but the crowd usually greeted coordinators like _him _in such an excited manner, not her. Though he managed to mask the shock rather well, he couldn't stop himself from gaping at her as well when she came entirely into view. He finally understood why she got the reaction that she did.

She was _perfect_, absolutely perfect. He honestly couldn't think of another word to describe her. Did she even know how beautiful she looked in that dress?

The flirty beautifly print number definitely boosted all of her body's assets. The sweetheart neckline softened her entire neck and collarbone area. A layer of sheer white chiffon lined the hem line for a feminine touch. The length of the dress hit her at the middle of her thighs, while the back flowed out in an elegant sweep train. And as if she didn't look captivating enough, the beautifly wings attached to her lower back seemed to be releasing silver glittery dust as she walked. With every step taken in her gold strappy heels, a little more dust trailed behind her, all the way until she came to a stop at the center of the stage.

And then the wings began to flutter, and the pokémon that had been clinging to her back took flight. The crowd gasped when her beautifly soared to the sky above her head, while raining the sparkly dust down on her and the stage as it began to perform a beautiful, mystic dance.

Drew recognized it to be a Quiver Dance, but he couldn't bring himself to pay much attention to beautifly. His eyes were stuck on May.

How clever of her to have beautifly cling onto her back instead of releasing it from its PokéBall. It sure was a unique and beautiful way to make an entrance. The audience was clearly eating it up, and the judges obviously approved as well by the way they were nodding their heads.

Suddenly, a blue aura surrounded the large pink rose that May had used to pin her hair up into a bun. Using Psychic, Beautifly took the rose out of its trainer's hair, making the loose curls fall out and cascade down her back and over her shoulders, perfectly in place.

As the crowd swooned over how May looked with her hair down, the rose was carried through the air until it hovered above Beautifly's head, the petals coming apart from the flower as it spun around. Next thing everyone knew, Beautifly was dancing in the air along with dozens of rose petals. A tiny Gust attack later, petals and glittery dust were raining down on the crowd, and May's appeal came to an end.

Drew didn't think he had ever seen anything so beautiful in his life.

* * *

><p>May could barely make it back to her room at the Pokémon Center during the two-hour break from the contest. Her feet were killing her after standing in her heels for so long, so the first thing she did was take them off. Then, she stripped herself of her appeal dress and went to take a quick shower. After the hot water had relieved all of the stiffness in her body, she left the bathroom and put on the dress that she had chosen for the battle rounds.<p>

When compared to the beautifly print dress that she had worn for her appeal, the burgundy number was a bit more conservative. The length still hit her a little bit above mid-thigh, but at least the dress had shoulder straps. And instead of a clavicle-baring sweetheart neckline, the drape neck design left only the base of her neck exposed. After pairing the dress with a pair of classic black point toe heels, she looked both flirty and classy.

"Well, I'm all set. Time for lunch," May said to herself after pulling her hair into a side ponytail.

She took a step toward the door, but after catching her reflection in the mirror, she decided to pull out a strand of hair to frame her face from the side opposite of the ponytail. After she did that, she was finally finished with her look.

Taking one last look at herself in the mirror, she quickly made her way out of her room and to the diner across the street from the Pokémon Center, where she was supposed to be meeting Brianna and Drew.

"There you are! About time you got here," Brianna exclaimed when she saw the brunette approaching the diner that she and Drew had been waiting outside of.

"Yeah, took you long enough," Drew added with a smirk as he looked May over. She even made a conservative dress look good.

May frowned at his gibe.

"I didn't take _that _long," she insisted.

"I beg to differ."

"An hour and thirteen minutes is hardly a long time for a girl to get ready."

"Try an hour and forty-two minutes instead."

"Both of you just _shut up_," Brianna groaned in exasperation. "I'm _hungry_, I want to _eat_. Shut up, go inside, and_ let me eat_."

"Fine. Let's go in and get a table," May huffed, and pushed open the glass door of the diner to enter.

Drew and Brianna followed behind May as she led them to an unoccupied booth in the diner. She immediately slid herself into one of the two leather seats and wiggled around until she was comfortable.

Brianna followed suit by sliding into the opposite chair and propped a menu up for both her and May to look at.

"So, which one of you ladies is going to move over for me?"

Both Brianna and May looked up to find Drew hovering by the end of the table, eying both of them through half-lidded eyes.

"Sit with Brianna—I'm not sharing a seat," May immediately piped, not wanting to miss the opportunity to drive the two together.

Both coordinators frowned at her, but neither said a word.

Drew grudgingly slid into Brianna's seat, while she nervously glanced at him and May.

Not too long after they ordered from the menu, their food was made and brought over to them. May immediately dug into her fries, while Brianna simply sipped her soda, and Drew took a small bite of his burger.

The entire meal carried on in the same manner, with May acting as if nothing had happened, Brianna trying not to think about what had happened, and Drew sulking over what had happened.

One could clearly see that the table lacked excitement and life...until a certain guy decided to bring some to the table for them.

"_Oh my Arceus_, you're that little cutie in the beautifly dress!" the purple-haired guy cried, his effeminate tone loud and ear-splitting.

May, along with Drew and Brianna, jumped a foot into the air as the guy forcibly slid himself into her seat. They all turned to get a good look at the bold person.

Drew's expression became lethal upon recognition. He knew this guy from various coordinating magazines; he would recognize that purple hair anywhere. But what was his name again?

"I'm Harley, honey, Harley Dabrowski. Pleased to make your acquaintence."

Oh, so _that _was his name.

Regardless, he had better let go of May's hand soon if he wanted to keep his own.

"Nice to meet you, Harley. I'm May Maple," May said with a nervous laugh.

"Oh, I know, I heard it when you were called onto the stage earlier today. I just couldn't remember your name off the top of my head," the guy named Harley replied as he finally let go of her hand. "All I could remember was that dress you wore! You looked positively gorgeous!"

"Th-thanks."

"I was going to enter the contest, too, but I figured I'd watch this time around instead of participating considering I already have three ribbons. I have to give everyone else a chance at the Grand Festival, right?"

"Uh...huh."

Drew couldn't believe how arrogant the guy was—and how rude he was being either! He hadn't even turned to greet Drew or Brianna!

As if he read Drew's mind, Harley turned to look at Drew and Brianna.

"Oh, are these your friends?" he asked as he appraised the two with glee. "You teenagers these days are so adorable—I saw you guys at the contest, too." He turned to Brianna. "Brianna, is it? That milotic of yours was positively divine, darling."

"Thank you," Brianna said with a polite smile.

Harley smiled cheekily before commenting on her "cute little face". Then, he turned to Drew.

"And you're...Andrew!" he exclaimed. "Andrew what again? Andrew Hayburn? Andrew Hayward?"

"Andrew Hay_den_," Drew corrected with a scowl.

"That's it!" Harley cried with an enthusiastic snap of his fingers. "Silly me! How could I have forgotten the last name of a handsome coordinator like you? No offense, sweetheart."

"None taken," Drew grumbled.

"_Right_," the purple-haired coordinator droned, and then took a moment to assess the guy's face.

"We have the same color eyes," he noted after a moment and then turned back to May.

Drew wrinkled his nose in disdain, while Brianna coughed to hide her laugh.

"_So_, May...if my memory serves me correctly, aren't you dating that handsome stud over there?" He jerked a thumb in Drew's direction. "Why aren't you sitting with him?"

May quickly grabbed a napkin from the table to cough into as she choked on her last fry. Brianna's eyes widened at the same time, but it wasn't clear if it was due to May's choking or Harley's straightforward question. Drew, on the other hand, actually felt himself starting to like Harley a bit.

"_Well_?" Harley pressed impatiently.

May coughed again before shaking her head. "No, I'm not dating him."

"_What_? You're lying."

"No, really—I'm not."

"How can this be? You two travel together, don't you? How could you not be dating?"

"You don't have to be dating to travel with someone."

"Well, in that case, you should consider dating him! You two would look amazing together!"

May blanched. She couldn't bring herself to look at Drew or Brianna because she didn't want to see their reactions to Harley's statement.

It was _exactly_ what she needed: someone to point out that her and Drew made a good couple. _Great_, just _great_. What was she supposed to say?

"Uh, I'm sure that's a debatable opinion," she offered lamely, and then coughed again. "But if you'll excuse me, I just remembered I have a phone call to make. Nice meeting you, Harley," she said hurriedly after she failed to come up with a better response.

Then, she quickly got out of the seat before the guy could stop her, muttered a quick goodbye to both Drew and Brianna without looking at either of them, and walked out of the diner. She didn't stop until she reached the phones in the Pokémon Center. She suddenly had a strong urge to call Gary. She needed to see him to remind herself of who it was that she liked exactly.

May breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that one of the phones was unoccupied. She didn't hesitate to sit herself down on the chair and pick up the phone. Her fingers immediately went to punch in the first couple digits of Gary's number, but when she reached the end, she found herself unable to recall the final four digits.

Why couldn't she remember them? They had been lodged in her memory ever since she was sixteen.

"Who're you calling?" Drew's voice suddenly asked from beside her on the seat.

May jumped at the sound of his voice. She hadn't noticed his presence, so when she turned to find him sitting beside her on the seat, she nearly fell off the side.

"Uh...a friend," she managed to utter. "When did you get here?"

"I left the diner a minute after you did. That Harley guy was...annoying to say the least," he told her with a shudder.

"Oh."

Drew waited a moment for May to say something else, but when it became obvious that she wouldn't, he cleared his throat.

"Well, aren't you going to call your friend?" he asked, while giving her knee an affectionate nudge with his.

"Oh!" May exclaimed as she suddenly remembered the phone that she was still clutching in her hand. "Right. Let me just call him."

Drew discreetly swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn't help but wonder if the "him" she was referring to was Gary.

"Can I meet him?" he asked to confirm his suspicion.

May's mouth grew dry at his request.

Drew wanted to meet her friend, but she wasn't about to call Gary now that he was beside her. She wanted to shoo him away, but she didn't want to appear rude. So, who was she going to call in his place? She had to call _some _guy friend of hers. But who could she call?

With no other option left, she decided to go with the first number that came to mind. After punching in the right digits, she waited with Drew for her guy friend to pick up.

A moment later, her friend's familiar face appeared on the screen.

"Is that May?" the guy exclaimed happily into his phone.

"Hi, Brock!" May greeted with genuine enthusiasm at sight of her old friend and traveling companion.

He hadn't changed much since the last time she had seen him at his wedding a year ago. Aside from the slight tan of his caramel tone skin, everything from his friendly eyes (that were still closed as always) to his brilliant white smile remained the same. Even his dark brown hair was still in the same, spiky 'do.

"It's great to see you! It's been so long!"

"I know! I've missed you, how've you been?"

"Hang on—before I answer that question, let me go get my wife! She's missed you, too!"

May laughed as Brock got up from his seat and disappeared from view. It would be nice to see his wife as well; it had been a while since she had seen her, too.

"Your friend's Brock Moulder?" Drew asked, his tone oozing surprise as he gaped at her.

May nodded timidly.

"How many famous friends do you have?"

"I'll tell you later," she promised hurriedly.

A couple seconds later, Brock returned with his wife in tow. She hadn't changed from the last time May had seen her at their wedding, either. Her mauve-colored hair still fell down her back and her blue eyes still held the same friendly twinkle.

"Hi, May! Long time no see!" she greeted with a smile plastered on her face.

But then it fell when she recognized the guy sitting beside May. Green eyes, green hair...was it really who she thought it was?

The guy seemed to recognize her as well. The shock on his face said it all as he took her in.

"Drew?" Brock's wife breathed.

Drew sucked in a shaky breath at the sound of her voice. "Solidad? Is that you?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well, didn't a lot happen in this chapter? I told you I'd be cramming in events! 7,000 words! Holy cow! I broke my record! Hope you guys liked it though. So many old characters were brought back! Guess who and who I'll be bringing back in the next chapter? Guess you'll just have to find out next week! And don't worry, I'll be returning to my weekly update schedule. You'll still get your chapter next Saturday. :) Thanks for reading, please review!

P.S. Did you guys get the pun about the little green monster? Haha, Drew...little green monster, get it? xD


	24. Old Friends, Invitations, and Surprises

**Update June 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

* * *

><p>I have three things I have to say:<p>

1) I've changed Brock's age from twenty-three (or whatever I had before, I forget) to twenty-eight. Sorry, I meant to put twenty-eight originally. :P

2) May's dress is actually a dress that Selena Gomez wore! No shocker that I would use one of Selena's dazzling dresses considering she is my fashion inspiration. So, if you'd like to see the dress in real, just look up "Selena Gomez butterfly dress" and you'll get a real life picture of it! Unfortunately, it's a butterfly print, _not_ beautifly, so you're all going to have to use your own imagination. :)

3) I'm thinking about making a Twitter for everything related to my fanfiction account. I've actually thought about this a while ago, but I kept forgetting to ask you guys for your opinions about it. Luckily, **chocolatehell**, an awesome author and a reviewer of mine, reminded me of it. It's good so that I can actually talk to you guys more than once a week! So, here's me asking for your opinions: should I or should I not make a Twitter? Leave your answers in the reviews!

Now, without further ado, the next chapter of _Love Unexpected_. As always, happy reading and please review. :)

_**Responses to Reviews...**_  
><em><strong>Fprmr1:<strong>__ Hehe, nah, I can't do that to Brianna! I actually like her for a change. ;D__**  
>Itssupereffective:<strong>__ You're a guy reader? My gosh, I'm really flattered! I never expected to have a guy read my fanfiction! Thanks so much :)  
><em>_**Pokemaster: **__I'll to incorporate your character, but it'll have to be at the end because I only have one more contest planned. Please be patient if you want to see your character appear! And _Patience is Rewarded_ is actually either going to continued being postponed or just deleted altogether, I'm afraid. I can't think of anything else to add onto it. :\  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Well, let's see if I can change your thoughts in this chapter? :)  
><em>_**ElsieLorraine:**__ I want to thank you for everything you said! I'm glad that you liked my portrayal of May and Brianna's relationship! I wanted to try something new since I've always felt that the two of them had a potential friendship (even though I'd hated Brianna's guts in the past :P). It's definitely fun to write! You'll see who I bring back in this chapter. :)  
><em>_**BittersweetSienna:**__ I agree, I like my Brianna a lot better. The anime one was soooo annoying! And Myra's actually a character that one of my reviewers created, so I gave her a cameo! I honestly thought your joke was funny, though. :)  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Haha, thanks!  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed: **__I'm sorry. xD I could use a female minor character in an upcoming chapter! A bridesmaid to be exact, hint hint. ;) And yes, we're more than half way through with this story. I'm actually pretty sad; I like writing this story. :( But I'm also happy since this'll be the first story that I've ever finished. :)  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ Oh gosh, let me attempt to respond to your review! Lol, this will be long guys, brace yourselves for a lot of scrolling if you're not Samia...  
>Fanfiction <em>is _evil! Well, sometimes. It is letting us unleash our imagination, right? :) My app really does act like an a-hole sometimes! I remember going an entire month without being to download or read any of my favorite stories because it's then-latest update crashed it! Unfortunately, it was the only—and still is the only—iPhone app for fanfiction out there. I'd make one myself (one where you could actually update your stories on!) but I'm not that smart. :P But definitely play me in Scrabble! Do it! Just give me your username when the time comes and we'll play each other! :) And that's a crazy coincidence! But at least your dad told you before he did, right? Mine just cut it off without notifying me. -_-  
>Ugh, I'm really starting to worry about my junior year. I made the mistake of picking two AP classes and two language courses next year. Not mention that I'll be taking calculus instead of geometry because I skipped two math classes. I'm going to DIE. I'll definitely check out your Spanish project, though! Me gustaría verlo! Is that right? Lol :P<br>Please introduce me to your friend, Nikki, someday! I would love that! I haven't met many people with the same name as me in my lifetime; it's nice when I get to do so! :)  
>Psh, don't be so modest! You're an excellent author and you should take pride in that! It's definitely a boast-worthy talent of yours! You deserve all the shameless advertising!<br>Hope I made you blush! Muahahahahahhahaa. :D  
>May's dress is actually the butterfly dress that Selena Gomez wore when she performed "A Year Without Rain" live at the 2011 People's Choice Awards! I swear, that girl couldn't pick an ugly piece of clothing to save her life! I love her style! But enough about Selena. xD<br>Trust me, Brianna won't be CLOSE to how annoying she was in the anime. I HATED her, so I took the liberty of portraying her differently in my story. Though I have to agree with you, it MAY have been her voice in the anime that annoyed me so much. I hated the new voices for all of the characters (especially Ash, Drew, and May!) so I just stopped watching pokémon after enduring the rest of the episodes with Drew and May. I still shudder just thinking about how terrible the voices were. They ruined my favorite anime. Ugh.  
>I agree with you on the HarleySolidad thing as well. We can both thank Glory for that, lol! But I just wanted to change things up a bit by matching Brock with Solidad, instead. May will be visiting the two and Ash and Misty, too! The reason for her visiting them should please a lot of Pokéshippers out there, hehe. ;)  
>I've heard of that trilogy! I've been meaning to get the first book so that I can see for myself if it's really that good as some people say! I am BEYOND excited to see the first Hunger Games movie! I can't wait! :D<br>I love rambling, I really do. You should hear me when I ramble! I pick the randomest topic that runs through my head at the moment and then I just go on and on about it until I think of something else! Geez, I talk too much. :p  
>I'm really stressing about my junior year. It's going to be here in just six months time! Gosh, I WILL die. Ugh. I don't even know if I'll be able to write as often as I get to now! Waah. I want to be in first grade against. Dx<br>There's no such thing as a late review as long as you still review! I appreciate and thank you so much for taking the time out of your day for writing such a long review for me to respond to! I haven't had that much fun in a long time! :D You didn't scare me with it at all! Did you get my long review, though? I tried to get it to be as long as yours, but I think I failed. Looks like I really have to make a Twitter. Lol, I'll talk to you soon, Samia. Bye!  
><em>_**fractured fairytales:**__ Thanks for bringing up Scorpius and Rose! I went to check out some fanfictions revolving around them and I fell in love! I love them almost as much as I love Dramione! Have you ever read _Chronicles_ and _Paremnesia _by _Josephinee_? They're sooo addicting! I'm already rereading both fics!  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__Thank you!  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ Didn't I? I feel proud! I packed a lot into this one, too! xD  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Lol! Thank you so much for that name you called me! That was so cute! xD Didn't you tell me about that guy before? I believe I shared a story with you, too. :P Haha, Brock is no longer a playboy. He's very committed to Solidad, and I mean _very_ committed. Committed x2, lol. You'll get this after you read the chapter. ;D_ _I agree with you on the thing about Taylor Swift's songs! I wonder if she's a Contestshipper on the down-low, lol. _  
><em><strong>Jace'sVampiress97:<strong>_ _I laughed my head off when I was writing the horror movie scene! That's what with me and my friend! Geez, the memories. xD Go ahead and use May's appeal! I'm flattered that you actually liked it enough to _want_ to use it! :D And Harley, Solidad, and Brock are just mentioned, unfortunatley. I'll try to bring them back again whenever I can! Thanks so much for you comment about this story and _Absol_, by the way! I'm mega flattered! :D_  
><em><strong>LuvPeaceCandy:<strong>__ THANKS!  
><em>_**lyrical-harmonies:**__ Alright, I'll say it: it's Ash and Misty. :D  
><em>_**Pelkasauras -Cherry3456:**__ YES! I made your day again! Hope I do again with this! :D  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Here it is!  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ It's fine! I should be thanking you for taking the time to read _and_ review despite being busy! That's very sweet of you!  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Who says he doesn't? xD Lol, jaykay!  
><em>_**starlit wishes:**__ You're very kind! Thank you for reading my story and reviewing so quickly! :D_

* * *

><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 24<strong>

* * *

><p>Drew couldn't believe whom he was seeing on the telephone screen. His childhood friend and coordinating mentor was sitting beside Brock Moulder, one of the most popular Pokémon Breeders of their time, in <em>their <em>home in Pewter City.

He hadn't seen her in years after she arrived in LaRousse City for a contest so many years ago. It had been his first contest, and he still remembered the advice that she had given him after she had beaten him.

"Never give up. No one learns how to walk before they fall" were the exact words that she had said to him after she found him crying underneath a tree outside of the contest building. It was because of her and those words that he became so dedicated to coordinating. He would never forget what he did for her.

But then she left to LaRousse City to continue on with her own journey. They still kept in touch, and she often gave him advice about coordinating, but aside from that, their brief conversations never included anything personal.

That was why he was so surprised to discover that she was married to Brock _Moulder_.

Arceus, _married_. His most important friend and mentor was _married _to Brock _Moulder_. His friend, Solidad Sciola.

No, correction: it was Solidad Moulder _née _Sciola now. She was married.

Arceus, he hadn't realized how much he had missed her. He instantly regretted not attending her wedding when he had received her invitation last year.

But seriously? Brock _Moulder_? She had said that her fiancé's name was Brock Moulder, but he hadn't expected it to be _the_ Brock Moulder.

"Yes, it's me," Solidad Moulder breathed, a huge smile breaking across her beautiful face. "I can't believe it's you! You're all grown up!"

Drew couldn't help but return her smile. It really was her.

"I know. And you're married!" he replied.

Solidad nodded happily. Then, she placed a hand on her stomach, surprising both Drew and May when the gesture drew their attention to her midsection.

"Yes, and I'm also pregnant, too," she informed as she rubbed her stomach through the fabric of her tunic.

May marveled over Solidad's protruding belly; she had forgotten that Solidad was pregnant. Brock had given her the news months ago when Solidad was only two months along. It was amazing how big Solidad had gotten in just seven months; her stomach was ballooning out of her like a beach ball! How could she have missed it when Solidad first sat down?

"Geez, how many months are you? You're so big!" May beamed, while leaning forward to get a better look.

Drew rolled his eyes at her vain attempt; they were talking on a _phone_, in case she failed to notice.

"I'm due in a little over a week!"

Brock grinned cheekily as he thought about becoming a father.

"And she's having twins! I'm going to be a daddy times two!" he blurted proudly.

Drew and May turned to beam excitedly at one another before May turned back to the screen.

"What's the gender?" she asked, barely able to contain her glee.

"They're both boys!" Solidad answered.

"That's amazing! I'm so happy for you guys!"

"Thanks! We're very excited! I can't believe we're actually going to be parents soon!"

"Have you decided on the names yet?" Drew asked.

"We were thinking Caleb and Joshua."

"Caleb and Joshua? Oh darling, those names are beautiful!" a new voice gushed.

Drew and May snapped their heads in the direction of the sudden voice, while Brock and Solidad craned their heads in a vain attempt to see who it was. All four of them gaped when Harley suddenly squeezed himself onto the seat beside May and placed his head directly in front of the camera.

Solidad took a moment to register the face of the purple-haired man. After appraising him for a moment, she finally recognized the face of her childhood best friend.

"Harley?" she beamed.

"That's me, honey! Long time no see! I haven't talked to you in a little over a year, and now I find out that you're pregnant with twins? Oh my Arceus, you're going to be a mommy!" he cried, clasping his hands together in glee.

Solidad chuckled. Her friend hadn't changed a bit, even in all the years that she had known him.

"Yes, Harley, I'm going to be a mommy!" she said.

"Oh my, and Brock! You're just as handsome as the last time I saw you!"

"Thanks, Harley. I can say the same for you," Brock chuckled.

"Not as handsome as you, deary!"

"Harley!" May cried in protest as the man began to wedge himself even further on the small seat that she had been sharing with Drew. "There's no room!"

"Oh, go sit on your boyfriend's lap," Harley responded, waving a hand dismissively as he continued to wiggle until he was comfortable.

"Drew's your boyfriend, May? When did this happen?" Brock inquired.

"Yeah, you guys are dating?" Solidad added with a pleasantly surprised smile.

"No, we're not dating!" May answered a little too quickly, much to Drew's dismay.

"She claims that they're not dating even though the sexual tension between the two of them is clear as day," Harley inserted with an eye roll, surprising May with his words. "It'll happen eventually, though—don't worry. They are traveling together, after all."

"We're just traveling together. It doesn't mean we're going to date!"

Drew frowned as May continued to deny her feelings for him as Harley continued to insist that they were going to end up together.

Seeing this, Solidad tried to put an end to the debate before it got too out of hand. Harley was a sweetheart, yes, but sometimes he was much too straightforward for his own good, and simply didn't take other people's feelings into account whenever he spoke. He had been the same way ever since he could talk. Solidad still remembered when he had made her cry after making a mean comment about her hair when they first met. Being only three-years-old at the time, Solidad had cried over the words.

But Harley wasn't a mean person. He had immediately felt remorse the second he saw Solidad cry and, instead of making her cry even more, he had apologized and comforted her. He really wasn't mean. He just needed to learn how to filter his words before he spoke.

"Harley, drop it. You're making the two of them uncomfortable," Solidad said gently. "Let them handle their own relationship matters."

Harley crossed his arms over his chest and stood up from the seat.

"Fine, I have to go get back to my seat at the contest arena, anyway. I'll leave you two pairs of lovebirds alone, then," he huffed. "I'll call you later, Solidad. Bye, y'all."

Solidad sighed. "Bye, Harley."

Then everyone fell quiet.

Brock cleared his throat to break the silence that Harley had left behind. "Shouldn't you two be heading back to the contest as well?" he asked Drew and May.

"We still have a little bit of time left," May replied. "I wanted to call Ash, too, before heading back."

"Oh, it's great that you brought him up, May! He has a bit of good news to share with you, too!"

"Really? What is it?"

"I'll let him tell you that once you call him."

"Alright, I'll call him, now. Thanks, Brock," May said with a smile.

After the four of them said goodbye to one another, she dialed the number of her other friend's home.

"That Ash you guys were talking about wouldn't happen to be Ash Ketchum, would it?" Drew asked hesitantly as the phone rang.

May nodded once, unable to look at him.

Drew shook his head. How many famous friends _did _she know?

"Hello?" a man with raven hair said after picking up the phone.

"Hiya, Ash!"

"May!" Ash Ketchum exclaimed with a huge grin. "Perfect timing! I've been meaning to call you! How are you?"

"I'm doing great! I just got off the phone with Brock and he told me that you have some good news to tell me?"

"Oh! That's exactly why I've been meaning to call you!" Ash grinned. "Let me get Misty, so that we can tell you together."

"Okay!"

"Ash Ketchum's dating Misty Clearwater, isn't he?" Drew asked May as Ash went to go get his girlfriend.

"Yeah. They're living together at his mother's house, too."

"You really do have a famous group of friends, don't you?"

May shrugged nonchalantly, as if it wasn't a big deal to be friends with one of the top Pokémon Masters in the world and gym leader of the Cerulean City Gym. She didn't know what else to say to him. Luckily, Ash was quick to return with Misty.

"Hi, Misty!" she greeted as the orange-haired beauty sat down.

"May! I've missed you, sweetie! I was going to call you tomorrow so that Ash and I could tell you some news, but I guess Brock and Solidad beat us to it!"

"Not exactly. They didn't tell me what it was," May told her. Then, she furrowed her eyebrows. "What is it exactly?"

Ash took a second to intertwine his fingers with Misty's as he took her hand. They smiled at one another first before they turned back to the screen.

"We're getting married!" they announced.

Silence filled the air for a moment, and then...

"YOU GUYS ARE GETTING MARRIED?" May squealed loudly into the speaker, causing Drew to wince. "About time! Congratulations! When?"

"In two months! We just sent out the invitations three days ago! Are you going to be able to make it?" Misty asked.

"Absolutely! I wouldn't miss your wedding for anything! Is it going to be in Pallet?"

"We're actually having it in Viridian City!"

"That's great! I can make it in time then! I'm in Fuchsia City right now!"

"Oh yeah! Aren't you in that contest that's going on there now? What're you doing on the phone?" Ash asked her with a confused expression.

Then, his eyes wandered over to Drew, as if he were just noticing the guy sitting beside her. Excitement instantly took over his features when he realized who the guy was.

"Andrew Hayden? Aren't you that famous coordinator Andrew Hayden?" he asked.

Drew gave a subtle smirk that came off cool and friendly, even though he was incredibly flattered to have Ash _Ketchum _know who he was.

"Yes, I'm Andrew Hayden," he confirmed. "Nice to meet you."

"I just saw your appeal on TV not too long ago and now I get to be on the phone with you? This is awesome!" Ash exclaimed with the childish glee of a five-year-old.

Misty shook her head at her fiancé's behavior.

"Excuse his childish behavior, Andrew—he's always been like this. It's very nice to meet you. I'm Misty Clearwater," she said with a kind smile.

"The pleasure's all mine, Misty. Please call me Drew," Drew insisted with his charming, trademark smirk.

"This is great! I'm meeting a famous coordinator!" Ash cried out.

May gave him a teasing frown. "Are Solidad and I dead? We're famous coordinators, too, y'know," she reminded.

"Yeah, but this is Andrew Hayden!" he insisted with an animated wave his hands, almost smacking Misty's face in the process.

"Watch it!" she cried in protest. while grabbing his hand to hold it securely in her lap.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Ash apologized and reached to hug his fiancée.

Misty rolled her eyes but returned his hug just the same.

"Aw, you two lovebirds," May cooed, smiling at the apparent affection that the couple felt for one another.

"There's nothing to coo about, May. You have a boyfriend, too, don't you?"

Drew froze at Misty's words, while May furrowed her eyebrows. Since when did she have a boyfriend?

All three pairs of confused eyes turned to the brunette.

"What boyfriend?" she asked Misty, just as confused as they all were.

"Drew?" Ash asked her back. "You guys _are _together, right?"

Drew let out the breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. Thank Arceus that it was all a misunderstanding—he almost thought that May really had a secret boyfriend. If that were really the case, he didn't know what he would do. Having Gary as his competition was more than enough; he didn't need a boyfriend in the picture as well.

He did, however, get a secret satisfaction out of the fact that everyone seemed to think that he and May were a couple. Unfortunately, the only one who wasn't on board was May herself.

"Oh, no—Drew's not my boyfriend," May corrected quickly. "We're just traveling together."

"Really?" Ash asked, genuinely surprised as he glanced back and forth from May to Drew.

"She's telling the truth. We're not together," Drew piped up. "But I do like this one girl very much, though. Unfortunately, she's refusing to accept me at the moment, even though she knows she has feelings for me. There's just something holding her back." He gave May a brief glance, eying her reaction to his words. "Have you guys ever went through something like this before? I could use some advice."

May wrung her hands in her lap as her throat closed up. It didn't take a genius to figure out what girl he was referring to; she just didn't expect for him to be so bold as to tell Ash and Misty. Even Ash, who had always been the most gullible one in any group, could tell who it was. It was clear in his expression.

Misty's expression mirrored his from beside him, her green eyes reflecting the concern in his brown ones at the sudden tension in the air. A person could have cut it with a knife.

But then, something very close to recognition flickered in Ash's eyes. It suddenly occurred to him what thing Drew was referring to. Or rather, what _person_ Drew was referring to. He remembered a conversation that he had had with May not too long ago about her strong feelings for Gary. She had told him that she was positive that she was falling in love with the brunet professor, and that the distance between them was making the feelings grow instead of dwindle.

Could it be that she still liked Gary and so refused to accept Drew because she couldn't let Gary go?

"I've never went through that type of situation before," Ash said, breaking the silence. "But the only thing I can tell you is to be patient. She'll come around eventually."

"That's what I hope every day," Drew responded.

"We wish you luck then, Drew," Misty told him with a kind, understanding smile.

"Thanks, Misty."

May cleared her throat and tried to put on the most convincing smile that she could muster. But just like her mother and brother, she failed to convince anyone.

"Well, Ash, Misty, we should be heading back to the contest building now. The battle rounds are about to start soon," she said.

"Oh, right! You guys need to get going! Good luck to the both of you!" Ash responded, instantly perking up.

"Absolutely," Misty added. "And Drew?"

"Yes, Misty?"

"You're invited to our wedding, if you'd like to attend. We'd like a chance to get to know you better, and maybe we'll be able to help you out with your predicament if you still need it by that time."

Drew nodded, while giving her a bittersweet smile. "Thank you, Misty. I'd like that," he told her.

Of course, he meant his attendance at Ash Ketchum and Misty Clearwater's wedding. Not the assistance that he would possibly require from them if May still refused to accept him by that time.

"Well, we should let you guys go now. See you two soon," Misty said, and then waved goodbye with Ash before hanging up the phone.

May immediately stood up from the seat that she and Drew had been sharing for the past half hour.

Drew barely had time to register her absence before she had put enough distance between them to fit three tauros. He was hurt and worried to say the least.

"I'll see you in a bit. I have to get ready for the battle rounds," she offered lamely as an excuse to get some time away from him.

She didn't think she would be able to handle a walk to the contest building with him. What would they say to each other, anyway? She certainly didn't want to discuss their situation, especially after he had just brought it up to her friends.

It annoyed her when he did it, to be honest. He had no right to tell Ash and Misty about it without her consent. If she wanted her friends to know about their situation then she would have told them _herself_. They were _her _friends after all.

Then, she instantly felt the guilt hit her in the gut. How could she even blame Drew after all she had done to him? All that she was _still _doing to him? She was hurting him for crying out loud, and she had the nerve to blame him for wanting help! Anyone would do the same if they were in his shoes! Heck, even _she_ would! How could she blame him?

Another reason why she couldn't walk back to the contest building with him.

"You're already ready for the battle rounds, though, aren't you? You're already dressed," Drew pointed out with a disappointed frown.

"Yeah, but I've just decided I wanted to swap out my pokémon."

"You don't think the ones you have with you now can handle a battle against me or the other two coordinators left?"

"No, it's not that. I just—"

"There you are, Drew!"

Drew and May turned to find at the approaching Brianna. She eyed the two of them with an unreadable expression before heading over to Drew's side and putting a hand around his arm.

"I was looking for you," she told him, completely disregarding May's presence. "I need to talk to you about something. Could you walk me back to the contest building?"

Drew looked as if he was ready to protest, but then Brianna tugged his arm and gave him a look. After a moment, he sighed and allowed her to pull him to the door of the Pokémon Center.

"We'll see you later, May!" the redhead called back to the brunette without turning to look at her.

May didn't know if she wanted to thank Brianna or curse her.

* * *

><p>"Dragonfly, Flamethrower!"<p>

"Dragonbreath, Flygon!"

The audience members watched with their heads pounding as the two flygon flying in the air shot their respective attacks at one another. They had been having trouble telling the difference between Drew's flygon and Myra's flygon ever since they both released one at the beginning of the battle. Had the two coordinators not been making sure that their pokémon weren't using the same attacks at the same time, no one would have been able to differentiate between the two ground and dragon type pokémon.

It was a frustrating battle to watch, yet it was too exciting to look away from as well.

"This has certainly been a suspenseful match! Neither flygon is letting the other get the upper hand!" Lilian said into the microphone. "But we only have a minute left of this battle folks! Let's see who wins!"

Drew's flygon swerved out of the way as Myra's flygon's Flamethrower broke through its Dragonbreath. Spiraling its way around the tunnel of flames, Flygon made its way to Dragonfly as Drew thought of what attacks he could use to beat Myra.

From what he had gathered from the past two minutes of battling against her, special attacks, like Dragonbreath or Flamethrower, had little to no use against Dragonfly. When one was used, Dragonfly would just use another more powerful special move to overpower Flygon's, whereas physical moves, like Dragon Claw or Steel Wing, did more damage to Dragonfly, and often resulted in a larger deduction of Myra's points.

As of that moment, Myra was still beating him by a small amount of points. He needed that to change immediately.

"Dragonfly, Dragon Pulse!"

Physical attacks it was then.

"Flygon, Aerial Ace!"

With incredible speed, Flygon shot forward like an arrow, making a beeline for Dragonfly. The oncoming shock wave that was pulsing from Dragonfly's mouth came closer and closer to it, tricking Dragonfly and the audience to believe that Flygon was headed straight into the attack.

But then, Flygon dove down right when the attack reached it and then headed up until it was directly in front of Dragonfly. After slamming a Dragon Tail into its opponent's face, Flygon flew back to Drew and accepted its praise for winning the battle.

Said boy returned his faithful pokémon with a small smirk and headed back to the back room as the crowd went wild for him.

"Drew! You were amazing!" Brianna squealed after Drew entered the room and launched herself into his arms.

Drew chuckled and hugged the girl closer to himself, surreptitiously smiling at the expression that May wore. It looked like something caught in between agitation and jealousy.

"Thanks," he said to Brianna after pulling away. Then, he glanced at May. "I believe you've yet to congratulate me."

May tried not to scowl at him. "I'll do that if you win the contest."

"I'll hold you to those words," Drew replied with a smug smirk.

At that moment, May and Brianna were called out to arena. She didn't hesitate nor did she wait for Brianna (who had gone to hug Drew before leaving) to exit the room. Instead, she strode to the door and out to the arena, where she took her place at one end of the battlefield. The crowd made sure to welcome her with a hearty applause.

"Hey, May," Brianna breathed, coming up to her side. She half-heartedly waved to the crowd as she spoke, but kept her eyes on May. "I just wanted to make sure that—just because we're going against one another—there won't be any hard feelings between us. Will you promise me a real battle and not hold back because we're friends?"

May nodded, unable to speak because she didn't know if the girl was referring to the battle or Drew.

Not that she was fighting over the grasshead with Brianna, of course.

"Okay, talk to you in three minutes," Brianna smiled, and then jogged to her end of the new grassfield.

The battle went by in a rush. May pitted her venusaur against Brianna's umbreon, doing all that she could to take Brianna's umbreon down. She wasn't sure why, but she was battling with more than twice her usual amount of aggression. Whether or not it was because she was keeping her promise to Brianna, or feeling bitter over the fact that Brianna was pursuing Drew, she couldn't tell. But no matter what the reason was, she didn't understand it. She was frustrated beyond belief.

And the fact that Brianna had been beating her didn't help _at all_.

So, she just vented her anger out on the battle. With every command that she called, her anger oozed into her voice. With every attack that Venusaur failed to dodge because of its size, her anger grew. With every amount of her points that she lost, her anger threatened to make her explode.

But in the end, she wound defeating Brianna with her venusaur's Solarbeam, much to the surprise of everyone who had thought for sure that she was going to lose. Her points had been less than a fifth of the amount that Brianna had had, but she had still managed to come out on top. She let out a sigh of relief until realization hit.

Drew was her next and final opponent.

"May, that was a great battle! Geez, you were aggressive," Brianna exclaimed as she walked back with May to the back room.

"Well, I did promise to give you a real battle, didn't I?" May tried, hoping to convince Brianna that that was the reason for her aggression.

"That you did."

As the two girls entered the back room, May went for a quick drink of water to replenish her thirst. While she did that, Drew came up beside her and handed her her daily rose.

May eyed him with confusion as she took the crisp, red flower.

"What? I always give you roses. I gave Brianna one, too," the guy told her.

May peered around him to see Brianna twirling a red flower in her fingers. She felt a pang of jealousy flop in her stomach. So, he was giving _her_ roses now, too?

"So you did," she stated.

Drew smirked at her. "Yes I did," he said in an almost bragging voice. "Are you ready to battle against me?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you might just lose to me."

"Emphasis on the _might_."

"Fine, you _will _lose to me."

"Says you."

"Says everyone."

"Ouch!" Brianna suddenly exclaimed as a thorn on the stem of her rose pricked her finger.

"What happened?" Drew asked, immediately going to her side.

"I got pricked," Brianna pouted as she held up her finger.

Drew took it into his hand and examined it.

"So you did," he muttered, using May's exact words.

Then, he did something unexpected that surprised both girls.

He brought Brianna's finger up to his mouth and planted a kiss right on it.

"There, all better," he said smugly, and then turned to head out to the arena, leaving behind a blushing Brianna and gaping May.

May felt sick as she followed him out into the arena. She was getting sick of him, absolutely sick of him. The thought of him was beginning to make her sick as she glared at him from across the field. That annoyingly smug look on his face repulsed her to no end. How could he smirk in such a way when he was _torturing _her?

One second, he was proclaiming his feelings for her for her friends to hear. The next, he was kissing Brianna's finger and giving her a _rose_. Surprise after surprise after surprise.

What in Arceus's name was wrong with him?

And then, as if she hadn't received enough surprises already, Drew released a completely unexpected pokémon, one that nobody had ever seen before, into the water of the field that had been selected for their battle.

A massive gyarados.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Sorry about not writing out Brianna and May's battle. I didn't feel that it was important enough. Besides, you guys have a battle with May against Drew's gyarados to anticipate in the next chapter! Didn't expect a gyarados, eh? That's my favorite pokémon, so of course I had to give it a cameo somewhere! Hehe, hoped you guys liked this chapter! Please review! :)


	25. Confrontation

**Update June 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>Well, all of you totally ignored my question about whether or not I should make a Twitter. :P Here's the chapter I've been itching to write! Have fun reading it! Please review! :D<p>

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>starlit wishes:<strong>__ I agree with everything you said. Harley's always been hilarious to me and May is in so much denial, it's not even funny. xD  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ Hahaha, he's playing with fire, that one! I literally laughed out loud at the part about Ash and Misty!  
>I'm sorry I had to leave the last chapter with a cliffhanger. I hope this chapter makes up for it. I mean, this <em>is **the**_ chapter, after all. :D  
>Yup, gotta love Harley! He was always one of my favorite characters in the anime! So funny. x)<br>Lol! You were the only one to answer my question! No one said anything about whether or not I should make a Twitter, so I guess I'll just enable my PM for now. It'd just be silly to make a Twitter and have no followers. :P  
>I can't wait to see it! I've heard so many good things about it! I'm so obsessed, it's not even funny...<br>I'm not suffering from allergies, thankfully. But a cold got to me. Not cool. -_-  
>Bahahahaha, I'm dying. <em>Your_ stories are awesome! Don't even try to argue!  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ I_ adore _gyarados! My absolute favorite pokémon! Don't worry about Admirationshipping! This _is_ a Contestshipping story! :D  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Absolutely! I'm serious, I'll put you in if you want, haha! ;D  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ You know Harley, he's everything. ;D I'm so happy that I have two male readers! I never expected to have one. :P  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ Well, she's going to be using an old pokémon, that's for sure. :P I loved your little 'ramdon fcat fo the day' at the end of your review! Gave me a nice laugh!  
><em>_**BittersweetSienna:**__ Everything will be revealed in this chapter! :D  
><em>_**VineMarion:**__ Thanks so much! :D  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Well, we needed some comical relief at some point or another. ;P  
><em>_**LAPKat:**__ I didn't? No! I thought I did! Lol, I'm so sorry! Correction: Solidad and Brock are with their first _children_. They're having twins, remember? :D I agree with the end of your review! I get these weirdest crushes on the randomest guys in animes. ;D  
><em>_**LuvPeaceCandy:**__ GYARADOS IS BOSS!  
><em>_**Pelkasauras -Cherry3456:**__ Yes! Let's all pummel him to death! xD This making your day thing is great!  
><em>_**lyrical-harmonies:**__ Your welcome! :D  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Hehehehe, glad I made you happy. :D  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Psh, just so long as you review, I'm okay with any length! Thanks for staying up to read the chapter even though you were sleepy! :)  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ Thank you!  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ They were in my story at the beginning, but I'll be bringing them back soon! At the wedding to be precise! :D  
>Well, now that you pointed it out, I guess I did unknowingly make everything in the anime happen in my story except for May and Drew meeting. Thank you very much!<em> You're_amazing!  
><em>_**Contestshipppingfan:**__ Thanks!  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ What? Why? Harley's so cool! Don't nail gun him! His sticking-his-ugly-nose-into-other-people's-busines ses is helping Drew and May get together! :D  
>I know! Totally unexpected from Ash, huh? The chapter wasn't called<em> Old Friends, Invitations, and Surprises_ for nothing! And this story is certainly not called_ Love Unexpected_ for nothing, either!  
>Don't throw the brick at Brianna! She's nice! I promise! You'll regret it at the end of the chapter. :D<br>__**ElsieLorraine:**__ I love the name Caleb, too. There's a really hott guy in my school named Caleb, and he happens to be Brock's skin tone, so I decided it'd be a suitable name for one of Brock's sons. ;D I'm definitely writing the wedding! It'll take place in either the 28th or 29th chapter! I've been itching to write it for a while!  
>I did mean never-before-seen. As in, no one's ever seen Drew's gyarados before, so it's never-before-seen. Get it? :) The battle's pretty long! Get ready!<br>__**Chi-Chiwawa:**__ Hey, hey, I always update on Saturday. ;D Don't blame Brianna! She's a good character, I swear she is. xD OHMYGOD, I had to dissect a cow's eye before. It was_disgusting_. Uck, I still gag at the memory of it. How the dissection of the frog go? Hope it went as well as it could've went. :\ And right! HOW DOES IT FEEL MAY, HUH? Lol, I'm so dorky. :p  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Lol, yes. I agree. :)  
><em>_**Alwayssearching2012:**__ Thanks so much! :D  
><em>_**shanafan. sapphire21:**__ Your first two questions will be answered in this chapter! As for the length of this story, it should be no more than 40 or 45 chapters. :) Thank you so very much for everything you said! That was very sweet of you! :D_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 25<strong>

* * *

><p>If May was dreaming, someone pinch her. Pinch her <em>immediately<em>. Pinch her out of the terrible nightmare that was her life. If not, let a black hole open up beneath and suck her in.

Drew was determined to end her himself, anyway. Or at least, that's what it felt like after what happened with Brianna in the back room.

And considering his pokémon of choice for the final battle against her.

A gyarados? Really? Out of all his pokémon, he had to choose a _gyarados_?

Since when did he even have one? He had never told her about it, nor was there ever any mentioning of it in any type of coordinating news. But that would change soon, May could tell already.

The gyarados was _incredible_. Even with half of its body in the pool, the large, dragon-like serpent easily towered over everything in the arena. Its large, blue scales alone probably measured up to one or two feet in diameter. Its wide, gaping mouth looked like it could swallow a fourth of the crowd in one gulp. The three pointed, dark blue crest on its head cast an eerie shadow over its vicious, red eyes. And yet, despite its terrifying appearance, it still managed to carry that cool, suave demeanor of its trainer.

It was the most intimidating pokémon that May had ever seen.

And she had to _defeat_ it in order to win the contest.

_Arceus, help me_, she thought as she brought herself to unhook a PokéBall from her charm bracelet. After taking a deep breath, she threw the ball forward and hoped with all her might that her pokémon of choice would be able to battle against Gyarados.

Delcatty appeared from the white flash of the PokéBall, materializing onto one of the floating white platforms in the pool. The feline shook its gleaming fur to loosen itself up after a long nap in its PokéBall, completely oblivious to Drew's gyarados at the moment. Without sparing its opponent a glance, it turned its head to the side to scan the crowd.

An adorable crease formed in between its eyes when it noticed the shocked looks on the faces of the audience members. It never remembered getting such a response before, so it wondered why it was getting one at the moment. After finally looking at its opponent, it understood why.

May suddenly worried that Delcatty wouldn't be able to hold itself against Gyarados after seeing her pokémon tense up. She couldn't blame Delcatty, she really couldn't. The serpent was more than four times her size in length, let alone her delcatty!

Words couldn't explain how awful she felt at that moment for making Delcatty go against Gyarados. She had just guaranteed her faithful pokémon a severe pummeling. Delcatty couldn't win.

But then, May reminded herself that she needed to have faith in her pokémon and faith in herself. Gary had once told her that pokémon were able to sense the emotions of their trainers. They felt what their trainers felt, so in other words, if May was so nervous, then Delcatty was, too. She needed to be strong for her pokémon's sake. She couldn't let Delcatty down. She could beat Drew. Her and Delcatty.

"We can do this," she muttered under her breath.

And then, as if it could hear her, Delcatty straightened its posture and readied itself for battle. The seconds began to tick down from the timer on the display screen.

"Delcatty! Wild Charge!" May commanded.

Drew smirked to himself as Delcatty shrouded itself in electricity and charged forward, leaping unbelievable distances to get from platform to platform. Head-on attacks wouldn't work well against his gyarados, even if they were electric attacks. He had made sure to train his gyarados to endure those attacks ever since the day it had evolved from a magikarp a year ago. His most powerful pokémon wasn't going to be _that_ easy to defeat.

"Aqua Tail!" he commanded.

Delcatty leapt to a different platform just as Gyarados slammed its tail down on the one that it had been on prior.

It was a narrow dodge, and Gyarados still managed to splash it with water, but when compared to the amount of damage that it could have taken, Delcatty didn't complain. Especially when it saw that the platform had split in half under Gyarados's tail.

May hissed on Delcatty's behalf. Gyarados was definitely not a force to be reckoned with. How stupid of her to think that a head-on attack would work on it. Maybe using the water to her advantage would work instead.

"Delcatty, Thunderbolt into the water!"

Electric bolts flew out of Delcatty like tentacles and stabbed themselves into the water. Drew watched with gritted teeth as Gyarados was shocked for a good amount of time. May was smart, he had to give her that. Water conducted electricity, intensifying the power of her delcatty's attack, and therefore causing more damage to Gyarados. His points were certainly suffering from the attack as well.

But that didn't mean that it was the end.

"My turn," he smirked once the attack was over. "Gyarados, Whirlpool!"

May gaped as the water suddenly swirled into a whirlpool and sucked Delcatty into its vortex. She watched helplessly as her pokémon was tossed around and around, barely a blur in the violent waves. She hadn't expected for Gyarados to be able to recover that quickly from Delcatty's Thunderbolt. The attack was supposed to have crippled Gyarados at least! Drew had trained one heck of a pokémon if it was capable of withstanding a blow like that.

As if he could read her mind, Drew glanced across the field at May. Emeralds clashed with sapphires, and then he smirked. Very arrogantly.

May felt herself reach her boiling point as her fists reflexively clenched at her side. Oh, how much she wanted to hit him in that moment.

After pummeling its victim, the water finally spat Delcatty back out onto a platform. The pokémon coughed out a mouthful of water and struggled to get back on its feet, despite the protesting of its muscles. It was sore from head to toe from the assault, but it wouldn't go down so easily. Even with Gyarados's intimidating glare, it wouldn't let May down. With a shake of its fur to rid itself of the excess water, it concentrated on making a Wish.

The audience watched in awe as Delcatty's Wish came true. A golden glow surrounded its body, restoring the energy that it had lost and relieving the pain in its body. When it eventually faded, an unscathed Delcatty stood tall, staring defiantly into the eyes of Gyarados and completely ready for its trainer's next command.

May smiled to herself. She mentally praised her pokémon for the quick thinking. Using Wish to restore its energy? Brilliant.

Drew, however, wasn't impressed. He frowned to himself as he glanced over at the display screen, only to find that May was beating him. By a small amount, but she was beating him nonetheless.

Glancing back from the screen to look at her, he saw that _she_ was smirking at _him_ now. Almost as if her smirk sucked up all of his arrogance from earlier, it was practically the word _hauteur_ against her skin.

He glared back at her and she bit her bottom lip to hold back a laugh. She was taunting him, he knew that.

But _damn _was that an enticing look.

"Use Flamethrower, Gyarados!" he commanded to distract himself from May.

"Delcatty, Copycat!" May called right after.

A funnel of flames blasted from Gyarados's gaping mouth, firing its way to Delcatty.

Using Copycat, Delcatty simply mimicked its opponent and opened its mouth, releasing a Flamethrower of its own.

Delcatty's Flamethrower spiraled its way through the air to meet Gyarados's. Right when the two attacks met, an explosion erupted in between them, and they disappeared into a large puff of smoke.

"Gyarados, Dragon Rage!"

Gyarados reared its head back to conjure a massive sphere in its mouth, concentrating so that all of its rage was put into the attack. As it fed the sphere more rage, the orange globe grew bigger and bigger. Once it reached an ample size, Gyarados let it go in the direction that it had last seen Delcatty standing.

"Delcatty, Protect!" May called quickly as she saw the orb fly.

Drew scoffed at her in his head. Surely she didn't think that a simple Protect could keep his gyarados from inflicting any damage on her delcatty. It could still attack Delcatty from underneath.

"Gyarados, Dive!"

The smoke from the two Flamethrower attacks cleared a moment too late for Delcatty. By the time the smoke disappeared, Gyarados was already no where in sight. Having been within the thick barrier of the dome that was its Protect, it hadn't heard the command that Drew had given Gyarados. Its ears flickered in alarm as it tried to figure out Gyarados's location.

"Delcatty! Watch out!" May cried at her pokémon, but it was already too late.

With a ferocious roar, Gyarados resurfaced from the pool and slammed into Delcatty's platform with immense force, sending the feline flying straight into the pool.

May's points began to dwindle down as Delcatty tried to get back to the surface of the water. The more it struggled, the more points May lost. She was only a small fraction away from being behind Drew, and with Delcatty struggling in the pool and Gyarados lurking in the water, she was sure that she wouldn't be ahead for long.

But she had a plan though. If all went well, her plan would work and she would win the battle.

If not...

"Gyarados, finish it with Iron Head!" Drew commanded before May could finish her thought.

There was no more time to think anymore. She had to act.

Gyarados gave another roar before it dove back into the water to let Drew know that it heard his command. It became a dark blur that inched closer and closer to Delcatty after it swam to the bottom of the pool.

May dug her nails into the palm of her hand as she followed its movements in the pool with her eyes. She prayed that it wouldn't attack Delcatty from beneath again.

Her prayers were answered when Gyarados appeared in front of Delcatty.

Perfect.

"Delcatty, Mud Bomb!"

A large mud ball launched forward from Delcatty's mouth and soared through the air.

The serpent in front of it froze at the sight of the ball, giving just enough time for the attack to reach it. It roared in pain when the mud exploded all over its eyes, depriving it of its sight.

Drew growled as the crowd gasped at May's save. He had thought for sure that Gyarados's Iron Head would have been the finishing blow for the battle. But now, with his gyarados blinded and only a little over a minute left of the battle, he didn't know if he could beat May.

So, he called the first attack that came to mind.

"Gyarados, Whirlpool!"

May smirked. It wasn't the move that she was hoping for exactly, but it had worked just fine.

"Delcatty! Use Blizzard on the edge of the pool and run!" she called.

Knowing what its trainer meant, Delcatty shot a Blizzard attack from where it was in the water all along the edge of the pool. Just as the water began to swirl at the center of the pool, it climbed onto the bridge that it made for itself and dashed off, successfully saving itself from being sucked into the water again.

Another growl left Drew's mouth as he watched Delcatty run. May's second save was certainly smart and creative, and his points suffered from it. Looking back at his Gyarados, who was still blinded, he growled a third time before calling the next attack that came to mind.

"Flamethrower, Gyarados!"

Gyarados paused for a moment to pinpoint the exact location of Delcatty. Instinct told it to fire the attack at a sixty degree angle, so it did just that. The Whirlpool seized in the pool as the flames managed to melt away the ice bridge just behind Delcatty, nearly setting the feline's tail on fire.

But Delcatty kept running even as Gyarados's Flamethrower followed behind it. The pokémon continued to run until it got close enough to a nearby platform in order to leap on. After doing so, it went on to bound to the next one, elongating its body to the fullest to make its strides as long as possible.

The next couple seconds went on in the same manner. Delcatty continued to leap from platform to platform as the blinded gyarados chased after it with Flamethrower. Whenever the next platform was too far away, Delcatty would simply shoot out a Blizzard attack to encase the top of the water in ice, building itself a bridge to help itself reach its destination.

All the while, Gyarados's Flamethrower continued to follow close behind it, melting away the ice bridges right after Delcatty ran off it. No one understood what it was exactly that Delcatty was doing, but Drew eventually realized what it was.

It was too bad that he had realized it a moment too late though—Gyarados's Flamethrower had already caused all of the water in the field to evaporate into thin air. All that was left was an empty pool.

"This is amazing! Delcatty managed to trick Gyarados into boiling the water in the field to the point where it all simply evaporated away! Looks like Gyarados can't use Whirlpool anymore! And with only fifteen seconds left on the clock and Gyarados still blinded, who'll win?" Lilian exclaimed excitedly into the microphone.

Turning around to glance quickly at the display screen, she gasped and then turned back around to announce what she saw.

"May's winning by a small fraction, folks!" she announced.

May sucked in a shaky breath at the news. She could do this. She was going to win. She just needed to finish the battle before time ran out.

"Delcatty! Finish this off with Thunder!"

Delcatty slid to stop at the bottom of the empty pool. It panted heavily, completely exhausted from all of the running that it had done. For a moment, it honestly considering lying down and giving the win to Gyarados, but it willed itself not to do it. It couldn't let May down—not when they were only seconds away from winning.

So, with every ounce of strength left in its body, it brought itself to conjure the largest thunderbolt it could before sending it flying toward Gyarados.

The attack crashed into Gyarados. Right when it did, Gyarados let out a deafening cry of pain that drowned out the gasps of the crowd and Drew's final command. It groaned as it collapsed to the bottom of the pool, writhing in pain. After a moment, its writhing seized.

Delcatty gritted its teeth as the impact of Gyarados's body shook the ground, forcing itself to remain standing until the buzzer went off. When it finally did, it let out a groan of pain before falling to the ground just as Gyarados did.

A moment passed as the two pokémon lay still.

But then, Gyarados suddenly surprised everyone by lifting half of its body off the ground.

"What just happened?" Lilian asked, more herself than anyone else.

She had thought for sure that May had won the contest since Gyarados fainted before Delcatty.

But now that Gyarados was conscious and Delcatty was still lying on the ground in an unconscious heap, what did it mean?

Mr. Contesta answered her question. "I'll just explain since I was probably the only one that heard Drew," he began. "You see, right before the Thunder attack reached Gyarados, Drew called for it to use Endure. He saw how close to fainting Delcatty was, so he must have taken the chance and hoped that Endure would be enough to keep Gyarados from fainting along with Delcatty for he would've definitely lost if Gyarados did so."

He paused to see if everyone was following what he said.

Drew nodded at him as if to tell him that he got everything precisely right.

Mr. Contesta nodded back and went on, "Luckily for him, Endure did the trick."

"So...what does this mean?" Lilian asked stupidly.

Mr. Contesta sighed.

"It means that Drew has won the contest."

* * *

><p>May tapped her fingernails against her seat as she waited in front of the phone in the Pokémon Center lobby. The phone buzzed in her hand as it tried to get through to the person that she had called. She needed to talk to him more than anyone at the moment or else she would explode.<p>

After losing the battle to Drew, she couldn't stick around to see him receive the ribbon. She had been _so_ close, _so_ close to winning the battle. If only the sly grasshead hadn't called that Endure then she would have won. Her points had been well ahead of his, her pokémon had been the last to faint—after the buzzer went off, too, if she may add—and yet he _still_ managed to beat her.

It was a huge disappointment; she couldn't lie and say that it wasn't. If the victory hadn't slipped from her grasp _just_ as she got it, she wouldn't have been so upset. But the fact that Drew still managed to beat her with a simple Endure was _terrible_. She just couldn't stick around and watch him gloat.

Especially when Brianna rushed out of the back room to give him a hug as the crowd applauded his victory.

So, there she was, sitting in front of a phone and sulking over her loss after making sure that her Delcatty was checked into the Pokémon Center. She obviously didn't blame it for her loss—it was her fault for being so stupid, after all—so she made sure that it received proper care before she did anything else. Delcatty would probably be more upset than she was when it woke up, anyway. It deserved some time to recover after fighting so hard. She was proud of her pokémon, she really was. It didn't let her down, but then again, she never thought that it would.

"Hello?" said a familiar voice coming from the phone that was pressed against her ear.

"Hi there," May greeted as happily as possible, a smile spreading across her lips at the sight of her best friend.

"May?" Gary gasped as he took in the sight of her on the screen. She was just as stunning as the last time he saw her. "I haven't seen you in so long! I'm so glad you called!"

"I know, it really has been a while! How are things in Sinnoh?"

"Things are going pretty good! I've just been helping Professor Rowan with some research, that's all. It can't be half as exciting as what you're probably doing on your journey, though."

May gave a halfhearted chuckle and shook her head.

"Believe me, I'm not doing anything exciting on this journey. I had more fun traveling with Ash, Brock, and my brother," she admitted.

"What? Is Drew mistreating you?" Gary asked with a frown.

He had already thought that it would be a bad idea for May to travel with the guy, but he had better not have done anything to hurt May on their journey.

_You could say that_, May thought to herself, but instead she said, "No, he's not. I just prefer traveling with more people as opposed to just one. I've always liked companionship, after all. You know that."

"Of course I do," Gary said, smiling at her.

May couldn't help but return the smile. Of course he would know. He knew her better than anyone.

"Are you going to Ash and Misty's wedding?" she asked to change the subject.

"Yeah. My grandfather's making me go, so I guess I have to."

"Aw, why are you making it sound like you're being forced?" May teased. "Here I was thinking that you would be thrilled to go to your best friend's wedding."

"_You're_ my best friend, May," the young professor corrected with a cheeky grin. "And this isn't _your_ wedding that I was invited to, thank Arceus." He paused to shudder. "But I'm just joking. I'm going out of my own free will. Can't miss my little Ashy-boy's wedding now, can I?"

"You're both twenty-three, Gary," May said with a playful eye roll. "He's not that much younger than you are."

"I was talking about his height..."

May had to laugh at that. Ash _was_ pretty short for a guy. At least he was average height, though.

"But I _am_ still five months older than him if you want to bring age into this."

"Oh, because that makes you so much older, huh?"

"Well, that makes me five _years_ older than _you_, my dear."

"What does _my_ age have to do with this?" May laughed. "We were talking about you and Ash!"

"It has everything to do with your age," Gary laughed back. "You're our little Maybear, remember?"

May groaned at the childish nickname. It had been so long since Gary or Ash had called her by the name. They had given it to her four years ago when she first started going to Lilycove University High. The two guys had clutched at one another, while mockingly crying out, "Our little Maybear's growing up!"

And then, they made sure to call her by that nickname every time they saw her until she made them both feel bad enough about it to stop. It was a straight two years worth of torture.

"Don't call me that again," she whined. "Not after all that begging I did."

Gary chuckled at the funny memory of May's pseudo crying as she begged himself and Ash to stop calling her Maybear in her junior year. It was so adorable that they couldn't bring themselves to call her by the name ever again.

"Alright, alright—I won't. I'll just stick with Mayflower, okay?" he offered.

"Yeah, that'll work just fine," May said fondly and with a grin.

She still remembered how she had gotten the nickname. They had stumbled upon some mysterious flowers in a forest a few years ago, and he had told her that they were as pretty as she were, thus naming them "May's Flowers". After discovering that they were, ironically, called _may_flowers, he just decided to make Mayflower her nickname instead.

Her heart had pounded so hard in her chest at the time that she was sure that it would explode out of her and whack him in the face.

"Well, _Mayflower_, I should be getting back to Professor Rowan now. I told him I would be right back after I got something, but I'm sure I've taken longer than he expected."

"Aw, I was hoping to talk to you for a little while longer," May pouted, genuinely disappointed.

"I'm sorry," Gary said, looking rather reluctant to hang up himself. "When's the next time I'll be able to reach you through phone before Ash and Misty's wedding? I promise we'll have a longer conversation next time."

"I'm heading straight for Pallet Town next to pay Ash and Misty a visit before their wedding. Could I call you then?"

"Sure. I'll make sure to reserve some time for you."

"I'll hold you to that promise."

Gary chuckled, staring into her eyes through the phone.

"I'll be sure to keep it—I _do_ miss you, after all," he murmured thoughtfully. His eyes dropped for a moment to stare off into space somewhere on his lap. Then, he seemed to snap out of whatever daze he was in and glanced back up at her. "I'll talk to you soon, May. Take care."

"Bye, Gary. You too," the brunette said, and then she hung up.

She sat in the seat for a moment, waiting for the fluttering in her stomach to come, but it never did. Then, she touched her cheeks to feel the blush, but there was no warmth. And her heart wasn't racing either when she put a hand against her chest.

How strange. All three of those things always happened after she saw Gary. Heck, they were always happening whenever she was simply _thinking_ of Gary. Where were they now?

A giggle coming from the front doors of the lobby caught her attention, and May turned to see whom it belonged to. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Drew and Brianna walking into the building with the redhead holding onto his arm. She met May's eyes for a brief moment before she turned to lean up and give Drew a kiss on the cheek.

May couldn't watch anymore. Pushing herself up from the chair, she made her way to the elevator as quickly as possible and hurried in to get to her room. The entire way there, she couldn't help but feel betrayed. The memory of Brianna kissing Drew on the cheek was enough to make her want to gag, and she ran her hand through her hair to calm herself once she entered her room. So many questions were running through her mind at that moment that she felt as if her head was splitting in half.

Why did she feel like Brianna was trying to make her jealous when she kissed Drew on the cheek? If so, then why did Brianna succeed in doing so? Why did she get so jealous just at the mere sight of Drew being with Brianna? Why did her heart skip a beat at the sight of him? Why did she even care so much about him?

She let out a frustrated growl and ran her hands through her hair again. No answers came. They never did.

"Are you okay?" someone asked.

May jumped and turned around to face the door of her room, only to meet the eyes of the cause of her stress.

"What're you doing here?" she asked him.

"I was just making sure that you were alright," Drew answered with a shrug, while he closed the door behind him.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you left the contest building right after I won and didn't stick around to see me get the ribbon."

May narrowed her eyes at him.

"Did you come here to brag? Because if you did, then you can take your leave now," she snapped a little harsher than intended. Then, she turned back around so that she didn't have to look at him.

"No, I didn't," Drew insisted. "But if that's not the thing that's bothering you then what is it?"

"Nothing's bothering me!"

"I know you better than that, May. There's obviously _something_ bothering you or else you wouldn't have ran to your room."

"I did _not_ run back to my room!" the brunette nearly screamed as she turned back around to face him. "Just accept the fact that there isn't anything bothering me, leave me alone, and go back to Brianna!"

Drew was surprised to see how aggravated she looked.

"What does Brianna have to do with this?" he asked, even though he already had a hunch as to what the answer was.

"Isn't she your girlfriend? Go back to her. I don't think she'll appreciate you being in here with me."

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"I never said she was my girlfriend."

"Well, your actions made it pretty damn clear!" she snapped.

"Language, May," he warned jokingly just to tease her. Then, he put all the humor aside. "What actions?"

"The rose? The kiss on her finger?"

"You know those things don't mean anything."

"Oh, are you sure they don't?" May scoffed. "Because I'm pretty sure they do."

Drew had to smirk. "Are you jealous?"

May blinked at the question, confused for a moment. Then it occurred to her that she had come off sounding a lot more jealous than she would have liked. The answers to her questions came to her then, too.

She liked Drew. She _really_ liked Drew. She had fallen for Drew without even knowing.

Holy crap.

"No," she lied, diverting her gaze to hide the shock at the realization in her mind.

"You are, aren't you?" he accused, his smirk widening into a grin.

"I told you—I'm _not_," she lied again, turning around once more to avoid his all-too-knowing stare.

Drew took a couple steps forward and turned her around, making sure to grip her arms to keep her from turning around again.

"You _are_ jealous," he stated. "Admit it."

"No, I'm not," May insisted stubbornly, looking everywhere but his eyes.

"Yes, you are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"_No_."

Drew sighed. "_Yes_, you are."

"Fine!" May growled, while breaking Drew's grip on her arms.

Then, she began to pace around the room in anger. He wanted to hear her say it, did he? Fine! He was going to hear it. He was going to hear it _all._

"So what if I am?" she demanded, going into a rant. "Any girl would be jealous if the guy she liked started dating her friend!"

Drew beamed with glee. She finally admitted her feelings for him!

"You like me?" he asked, while taking a step closer to her pacing form.

"I don't want to be jealous!" May went on, completely missing his question. "It's the crappiest feeling in the world! Especially when I have to stand here and watch as you freakin' act all lovey dovey with her!"

"May..."

"I mean, giving her a rose and kissing her finger? Come on!"

"May?"

"What the heck is _that_? And doing it in front of me, no less! First, you give me roses, and then you give her one? Then, you kiss me accidentally, and then you kiss her intentionally? What the heck!"

"May!"

"_What_?" she cried in aggravation, stopping in her tracks to glare at him for interrupting her rant. "You've been driving me crazy for the past couple of days, and now you're screaming at me? What's your problem?"

Drew sighed and went to grab her around the wrists. "I'm not dating Brianna."

May gave him a disbelieving look.

"Oh, so she just decided to kiss you on the cheek in the lobby to piss me off and you let her because you're not dating her?" she challenged.

"She didn't kiss me on the cheek? She told me to go after you in my ear," Drew told her, honestly confused. When did Brianna kiss him?

"Why would she do that? She _likes_ you."

"No, she doesn't."

"Yes, she does! She told me!" May argued.

"No, she doesn't!" Drew exclaimed back.

"Then why would she tell me that she did?"

"Because we were working together to make you jealous enough so you would admit your feelings for me!"

May's mouth fell open in shock.

"You guys did _what_?" she all but shrieked.

Drew took a deep breath before explaining.

"It was Brianna's idea," he began. "She saw me the morning after that night in the tent and she asked me what happened. I told her everything about the situation, and then she suggested that we use jealousy to try to get it out of you. Everything that's been happening in the past couple of days has been part of the act. She doesn't like me, I don't like her." He sighed. "And we're definitely _not_ dating."

"Why would you do that?" May whispered, her mouth still slightly agape in disbelief.

"You're just _so_ _stubborn_," he told her, exasperation evident in his voice. "There was no other way for me to get you to admit your feelings for me, so when Brianna suggested this plan, I just agreed. I was desperate, so I just went along with it."

"You jerk..."

"I'm sorry," he said, though he didn't look sorry in the slightest. His hands moved down to cup hers and he brought them up to his lips to plant a kiss on her fingers. "Forgive me?"

May bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering.

"I should hit you so hard right now," she whispered, but the words lacked the anger to make them much of a threat.

Drew laughed as he let go of her hands. Then, he slowly went to take her face in between his hands, bringing it closer to his.

"Don't do that. You'll damage my beautiful face," he whispered.

May had to let out a small laugh.

"Arrogant jerk," she whispered back, feeling herself softening up.

Instead of answering, Drew simply smiled and closed the distance between their lips.

It felt like a million sparks were flying around them the minute their lips touched.

Finally, he was _finally_ kissing her. _Really_ kissing her. And she was_ kissing him back_. She finally admitted her feelings for him, and she was _kissing_ him back. _Willingly_.

The feeling was amazing. Her soft lips were even better than he had imagined. He had been aching to kiss them for months, and he was finally able to do so. And now, he was sure that he would be able to kiss her from now on whenever he wanted. That one fact was enough to get his heart soaring.

After a while of meaningful kissing, Drew pulled back to get some air and to look into her sapphire eyes. When he saw the smile on her face, he beamed back at her and then bent back down to reattach his lips to hers.

He pecked them once. Then, he did it again. And again. And again.

He didn't stop until he felt that he had made up for all of the kisses that they had missed.

* * *

><p>"So, is everything okay, now?" Brianna asked when she saw Drew and May walking down to the lobby.<p>

Judging by their intertwined fingers, she assumed the answer was yes. But it didn't stop her from eying the pair warily, especially May.

"Yep, everything's okay, now. Thanks, Brianna," Drew answered, grinning at her before looking down at May. His _girlfriend_, May.

Arceus, was it amazing for him to be able to call her that from now on.

"Awesome!" Brianna beamed, but then her smile fell as she glanced at May. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

"Nope," May assured her, a grin playing at the corners of her lips.

She couldn't thank Brianna enough, how could she even think to be angry at her? She lied, sure, but it was because of her lie that got her and Drew together. She hadn't realized just how much she had wanted it to happen until it finally did. It was taking every ounce of her willpower to keep herself from crushing the girl in a hug for all that she had done for her. The gratitude she felt swelled in her heart.

"Great! My plan was a success!" Brianna cheered, clapping her hands together happily. "Now, let's go get some dinner! It's on Drew!"

Said guy blinked. "Says who?"

"You? You promised that if my plan worked, then you'd treat us all to a nice dinner as a reward, remember?"

"I'm pretty sure I didn't," Drew insisted, even though he was pretty sure that he did. "Besides, the sight of us being together should be enough of a reward for you. You don't need a nice dinner."

"Dude, you cut my finger with a _rose_."

"_I_ didn't cut you with a rose," he scoffed. "Plus, I gave you a kiss to make it feel better."

Brianna frowned. "No, I think you just infected it with your cooties."

Drew rolled his eyes as May laughed merrily.

"Real mature," he muttered, while he glared at the both of them.

"You just have no sense of humor," Brianna insisted as she turned around to head out of the lobby. "Let's go get dinner."

As Drew and May followed her, Brianna couldn't help but let out a breath of relief. Thank Arceus that they finally got together; it was about time, and she had begun to get really tired of lying to May. It was hard to lie, especially to a friend. It had never been her strong suit, since she always considered it bad. But she guessed that if a simple lie could bring two people together then it wouldn't make her conscience haunt her.

With those thoughts in mind, she smiled to herself and began to lead the way to the nearest restaurant. She wanted her reward.

But she had to wash her hands to rid them of Drew's cooties first, of course.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Psh, did I not tell you all that Brianna was a good character? Don't be mean to her anymore! She got Drew and May together! :D Hehe, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading! Reviews are very muched appreciated!


	26. Poolhouse

**Update June 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

* * *

><p>Just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for helping me reach over 500 reviews! Thank you all so much! :D I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and please keep those reviews coming! Love you all, my readers! Get ready for some Contestshipping and Pokeshipping fluff! ^.^<p>

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>EeveeTransformed:<strong>__ Sorry about the capital letters! They're what I use when I write my stories on my phone to remind myself that I need to italicize those words when I go back to edit. See, I write all of my chapters on my iPhone before I upload the document onto Fanfiction for the editing! I didn't have much time to edit last week, so I had to leave the capital letters until I could get around to it. It won't happen again, hopefully. :P Loved your comparison, it was funny! And I love gyarados, too! My absolute favorite pokémon, if you didn't already know that. :D  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Thank you! :)  
><em>_**Saikono-san:**__ Hahaha, you'll be surprised when I decide to let some Brunetteshipping pop back up again. No spoiling intended, of course. ;P  
><em>_**shanafan. sapphire21:**__ Yes, it did! I actually typed out your entire username, but Fanfiction deleted it! I think it's because there isn't a space before or after the period. So, for the sake of you being able to tell where my response to your review is, I'm going to put a space after the period in your username from now on! And watashi wa machigainaku kaite kurerudeshou (I will definitely keep writing)! My Japanese isn't good, so I don't know if that's correct or not. Blame Google translator if it isn't! At least I knew what 'onegai' meant, right? ;D  
><em>_**LAPKat:**__ Lol, a missed response won't happen again if I can help it, I assure you. I could've swore I replied to you that time, though. xD  
><em>_**Catrina7077:**__ Well, this_ is_ a Contestshipping story. I couldn't let the Brunetteshipping go on forever. It's too bad that you won't be sticking around until the end to find out how I plan on bringing back some more Brunetteshipping at the climax. I can't change your mind, so I'll just thank you for reading so far!  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ They're coming back! Some old characters will be making cameos at the wedding and reception, which will be taking place in the next two chapters! :)  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ Of course you're forgiven! At least you're reviewing occasionally! Some people don't review at all and they just favorite or follow. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that, but a review wouldn't hurt. :P Leaf will be making a cameo soon! Just wait and see. :)  
><em>_**ElsieLorraine:**__ To be honest, I was originally going to make Brianna a bad character! But then I decided I like this characterization of her better, so I stuck with it. She's actually one of my favorite characters, now. :P There will be about 40 chapters in this story! And I misspelled Gyarados? When was this? O_o  
><em>_**KurunaGirl:**__ Lol, I'm not getting one! I thought about it for a bit until I figured that I wouldn't have many followers, so I'm just not going to make one. And I swear! You're not the first person to tell me that! I'm actually considering writing a Brunetteshipping spinoff of this fanfic now! But that'll probably not happen for a while. xD  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Lol! Thank you so much! *accepts award and gold medal* xD And I read it! Did you get my review?  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ Haha! Don't think that! He probably thought you were adorable. :D  
><em>_**Pelkasauras -Cherry3456:**__ Lol, you make me want to hug you! xD *hugs*  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ Same! Actually, I really haven't been touching television altogether, because all the good shows are gone. :\ I've finally seen the _Hunger Games_ movie, though! Go see it when you can! Take my word for it when I say that it will blow. Your. Mind. Away. It's _phenomenal! _I had to drag my friend to go see it (she's never read the books before!) and even she was sobbing and gaping throughout the entire movie! I'm proud that I got like, ten people in my school hooked on the series through my shameless advertisement and persistence. I should be getting paid for it. :P  
>I really don't know why we're arguing about it. Let's stop, shall we? *cough, cough* Your stories are better *cough, cough* :)<br>__**Sonnensilberhauch:**__ Lol! Thank you! :D  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Psst...go for Peeta! He's so selfless and cute! And the guy that plays him? Oooooh...let me wipe the drool off my chin. xD Have fun reading _Catching Fire_! That was an amazing book! Did you watch the movie yet? And I like the thing at the end! Very _Hunger Games_-eqsue!  
><em>_**Chi-chiwawa:**__ Lol! Because Brianna's just too nice to be mad at. :D Thankfully I have yet to dissect anything in high school! Hopefully that'll be the same case for my last two years! I want to be an author and pharmacist, not a dissector or whatever you call it! And Gary will be back, though...don't hurt him! xD  
><em>_**The Mysterious E:**__ Hehehe, isn't she?  
><em>_**Contestshippingfan:**__ Nope! The wedding's next chapter! Please enjoy the Contestshipping and Pokeshipping fluff in this chapter until then! :)  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ Totally agree! At least you actually read my story! Thank you for that and everything else you said in your review! :D  
><em>_**SpikEarPichu'sTrainer:**__ I'll try to put your character in whenever I can! :)  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ Lol, maybe he is, or maybe he isn't. Or maybe he's been into her all along? Ya never know. :)  
><em>_**Shiningheart of ThunderClan:**__ Lol! Now, you just gave me an idea for the next chapter! xD  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Lol, it can go both ways I guess. I just figured that since May already won a ribbon that it should be Drew's turn. :P  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ How was Maui? I'm jealous! I have to wait until June until I get to go on my vacation! Though I'll have to take a break from Fanfiction unless I can get internet connection during that time. :\ Lol! Feel free! It's not like I won't make Ash and Gary (and maybe other people, hehe) call her that! ;D  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Lol, Brianna's a funny one, isn't she? :D  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ I watched it! It was the best movie I've ever seen! It was so good! Phenomenal! Lol, you have no idea how badly I want to buy it on DVD now so that I can watch it over and over without having to pay for a ticket! Have you seen it?  
><em>_**Bittersweetsienna:**__ Well,_ you_ never complained, but some of my reviewers didn't really like her lol. :P_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 26<strong>

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><p>Six weeks had passed by in a blur for Drew and May after the two of them became a couple. Their days together had long since developed the comfort of routine. Every morning, whether they had slept in a bed or sleeping bag the night before, Drew would be the first to rise and he would look down at May with a smile as she slept soundly in his arms. After stirring her awake, they would have breakfast together. Then, they would set out on their journey until noon, when they would stop for a lunch break.<p>

Once their stomachs were filled, they would continue on until nightfall, when they would either set up camp or check into any nearby Pokémon Center. Not too long after snuggling together in bed or a sleeping bag, they would turn in early and sleep until the next morning, when the entire routine would then repeat itself.

Drew couldn't say that he wasn't utterly content with everything going on in his life. He was very pleased with the way things had worked out for him after agreeing to go along with Brianna's plan. Making May jealous had indeed been the key to getting her to confess her feelings for him, and thus what led to the start of their relationship.

He hadn't been able to thank Brianna enough in the last two days that he and May spent with her before the two of them left Fuchsia City to head to Pallet Town. Without her, he wouldn't have been able to call May his girlfriend for the past six weeks, and then some.

And he definitely wouldn't have been able to kiss May as many times as he did throughout the course of a day. Nothing big, just short, sweet kisses all over her face. A peck on the cheek, forehead, nose, temple—just anywhere that he could leave a kiss to let her know how much he liked her. He definitely loved doing so to no end, and whenever May would turn to smile at him after he did, he would feel his heart soar.

But he also couldn't say that he wasn't somewhat stressed over the looming threat in their relationship. Even though he was the one that she called her boyfriend, and the one that she allowed to kiss and hold her, he couldn't help but fret over the possibility that she still felt something for Gary.

They hadn't ever discussed the matter since their relationship started, but despite desperately wanting to, Drew had to admit that he had been avoiding the topic. He wanted to know, but he was afraid of what her answer might be. It had the ability to jeopardize their relationship, depending on what it was. He just didn't want to risk it after coming such a long way with her.

Drew had never felt so vulnerable to a girl before in his life. Since the day he became desirable to the female population, he had always been the one being chased after, not the one doing the chasing. There had never been a time when he had to go out of his way to get a girl to fall for him. They had all just come to him.

They battled for his attention and did all that they could to be the lucky girl that he would call his girlfriend. A few girls had managed to earn that role, but he was always the one to break up with them whenever he began to feel as if the relationship wasn't going anywhere.

Needless to say, he was never the one left with a broken heart, and it scared him that he might possibly, for the first time, experience heartbreak with May. After all, he had already experienced so many things for the first time with her.

When they first met after Mrs. Pennington—bless her wonderful soul—seated them next to each other in class, he had been captivated by her. She had been so disinterested in him that it became a fun challenge for him to try and get her to fall for him. He had never had a girl not pay him any mind, so it intrigued him enough to go after her.

But now, as he looked back, he could honestly say that it was the first time that he had ever fallen for a girl at first sight. She was the first girl that he had fallen for first, and the first girl to ever make him behave in the ways that followed.

He kept trying to pursue her. He constantly anticipated the next time he would see her. He tasted jealousy whenever she showed more interest in another male. He felt threatened by the guys she mingled with—namely Brendan and Gary. He thought about her all the time. His heart raced whenever he saw her. And then, when she became his girlfriend, he worried about losing her.

Arceus, what the girl did to him.

A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around his neck from behind, taking him out of his thoughts.

"Good morning," greeted May cheerfully after giving his cheek an affectionate peck.

Ah, there was the reassurance that he needed.

Instinctively, Drew reached up with his own hand to cup one of hers. After planting one kiss in the center of its palm, he used it to guide her down onto his lap. While she wiggled around to get comfortable, he wrapped his arms around her waist and began to kiss her cheek with a vigor, making her laugh.

"Well, good morning to you, too," she joked as she squirmed.

Drew pulled away so that she could turn her head to look at him. Their eyes met as they smiled at one another and he leaned back in to press his lips to hers again.

"Good morning," he muttered without breaking the kiss.

Meanwhile, one of his hands slid around her stomach to grip her side, while the other reached for the rose lying on the grass beside him. Wrapping his fingers around the stem, he lifted it up to tickle her ear with the petals of the flower. Their lips muffled the giggle that he aroused from her as he preceded to brush it along her jawline, and then down her neck.

"Well, aren't you particularly affectionate this morning?" May muttered, her lips still pressed against Drew's.

"Aren't I always this affectionate when I kiss you?" he muttered back.

"Not always."

"Mmm. Then, consider this my way of repaying you for that nice morning greeting you just gave me."

May gave a small yelp as Drew suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her onto his chest as he began to lay down onto grass. He broke the kiss temporarily in order to adjust her so that she was lying comfortably on top of him. Once she was done, he reattached their mouths to massage her lips with his.

May sighed against his, providing just enough space between her upper and lower lip for him to slide his tongue into her mouth. His tongue met hers, coaxing it to move along with it, while he deepened the kiss. One of his hands wandered up her back to weave his fingers into her luscious hair as the other kneaded her behind. Meanwhile, her hands simply remained idle on his shoulders as he trapped her arms in between their chests.

"We need to stop making out," May tried to say as Drew pulled his lips away to kiss a trail down her neck. "We're never going to get to the ferry on time if we keep this up."

"We still have a good hour," Drew assured her in her ear. "Besides, you can't say that you don't enjoy this." He bit down softly on her lobe to emphasize his point.

May hummed as he began to kiss down her jawline. "That I can't."

"Exactly."

"But we _should_ be eating some breakfast."

"I'd much rather keep this up. Kissing you is far more yummy."

"Pervert."

Drew chuckled, his breath fanning her neck.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't be me if I wasn't one, right?" he muttered as he planted one final kiss on her collarbone. He nuzzled her neck before pulling away completely.

May let out a lighthearted giggle before falling down on the ground beside Drew, burying her head into the crook of his neck while using his arm as a pillow.

He smiled at her as she smiled back at him, and then, using the hand of the arm that she was resting her hand on, he gently brushed her hair away from her face. His eyes stroked her face before he leaned over to plant a kiss on her eyebrow.

"Thank you," he said after pulling back.

May's eyebrows furrowed. "For what?"

"For finally giving me a chance after so many months. I wouldn't have been able to do that if we weren't together."

"What? Kiss my eyebrow or make out with me?"

Drew grinned. "Both."

May grinned back. "Oh, so you're only with me to make out with me?"

"Well, the liberty to do so whenever I want is definitely a bonus."

May laughed and leaned in to give him a peck at the corner of his mouth.

"You really are a pervert," she muttered, and then got herself up off the ground. She extended her hand to him to help him up. "Come on, let's eat. We've got a ferry to catch soon."

* * *

><p>"So, do you think your friends are going to like me?" Drew inquired as he and May entered a small neighborhood in Pallet Town.<p>

"They seemed to like you well enough when we were on the phone together. They should like you in person."

"I hope so, or else this is going to be a long and awkward week."

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," May told him, while giving his hand a reassuring squeeze just as they approached the door of a two-story, single house. Her hand reached up to hover in front of the doorbell.

"Now...are you ready?" she asked teasingly. "I'm going to ring the bell in two seconds."

Drew rolled his eyes. "Just ring the doorbell, May."

May just laughed and did as told.

A muffled call for them to wait a minute came from the other side of the red wooden door. Not too long after, the door was pulled open by none other than the raven-haired Ash Ketchum.

"Hi there, Ash!" May greeted cheerfully.

"Hey, May! You're finally here!" Ash cried happily.

Without wasting another second, he bent down to swoop her up into his arms and spun her around once. Then, after noticing Drew, he placed her back on the ground and turned to extend his hand.

"Oh, and you brought Drew! Glad you could make it!" he said as he shook the guy's hand. "How are you?"

Drew gave a polite smile as he accepted Ash's hand and shook.

"I'm doing great, thanks," he replied. "Congratulations, by the way. It's nice to finally get to meet you in person."

"Same goes for me, too. How did things work out with the problem that you were having the first time we talked?"

May blushed, while Drew smiled at her and took her hand.

"Things worked out just fine. Your advice worked perfectly," he told Ash.

"Ooh, I get it," Ash said, grinning as he glanced from Drew to May. "Not your boyfriend, huh, May?"

"Well, he really wasn't that time," May mumbled sheepishly.

"As long as he is now, that's all that matters," Misty suddenly chimed, coming up beside Ash from inside the house. She beamed at the young couple standing before her and her fiancé. "It's great to see you two. Let's go inside, Mimey just got done making lunch. We could go swimming in the pool after we eat."

"Mimey?" Drew asked May as Ash and Misty led them to the dining table.

"Mrs. Ketchum's Mr. Mime," May answered just as she entered the dining room behind Misty.

She smiled politely at the sight of Ash's kind mother, Delia, setting the table.

"Hi, Mrs. Ketchum," she greeted.

"May! How nice to see you again!" Delia exclaimed in her gentle voice, extending her arms as she walked around the table. She pulled the brunette into an embrace upon reaching her. "It's been so long! How are you, dear?"

"I'm good, thank you."

"That's lovely to hear. I'm so glad that you could make it in time for Ash's wedding," Delia said as she pulled away from May. Then, she turned to smile pleasantly at the green-haired guy beside her. "And you must be Drew."

"Yes, pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Ketchum. Thank you for having us. I hope we aren't causing you much trouble," Drew responded in a very well-mannered tone.

"Of course not! Any friends of Ash and Misty are always welcome. Just make yourselves at home."

"They will, Mom. Now, let's eat!" Ash inserted as he slid himself into a seat and scooted himself into the table. "Pikachu! Lunchtime!"

May grinned from ear to ear at the mentioning of the pokémon's name. Instead of heading over to the table like everyone else, she lingered at the doorway of the dining room to wait for Pikachu's arrival.

Not too long after everyone was seated, a familiar little electric mouse bounded into view after descending the stairs, and ran straight for the dining room. But once his black eyes fell on May's silhouette, he slid to a halt.

May waved at the yellow pokémon.

"Hi, Pikachu. Long time no see, buddy," she smiled.

Pikachu blinked as it tried to remember the voice and took one leap forward to get a better look at May. It took a second, but after looking more closely at her, Pikachu finally let out a cry of glee and charged forward before leaping into her arms.

May laughed and hugged the small pokémon to her chest, her hand cupping the back of its head in between its long, pointed ears. From behind her, Ash gave a playful huff as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"Oh, so Pikachu gets a 'I've missed you', but not me," he grumbled. "What a great ex-traveling partner, you are."

Pikachu stuck out its tongue, while tugging down on the skin below one of its eyes in the direction of its trainer.

Everyone but Ash laughed at the pokémon's taunting gesture.

"I've missed you _all_," May offered between her laughs and began to carry Pikachu over to the table. "Come on, Pikachu. Let's eat."

* * *

><p>"So, how are things going with Drew?" Misty asked May from within the closet in the room that she and Ash had started sharing after getting engaged. Her back was to May as she reached for a swimsuit to let the brunette loan, obscuring May's view from whatever she was retrieving.<p>

May lifted her legs onto the bed, crossing them and then tucking her bare feet beneath her.

"Things are going great. He makes me really happy," she replied with a contented smile.

Misty laughed. "I can tell. You're practically glowing whenever you're around him." She paused to hand May the swimsuit that she had obtained. "I suppose Ash is probably giving a 'if-you-hurt-her-you'll-have-to-answer-to-me' speech to him right now, though."

"Is he really?"

"Yeah. He's been itching to give one of those since he's always been on the receiving end of one after he started dating me."

May chuckled and shook her head. Then, she got a look at the swimsuit that Misty loaned her.

"Oh, Arceus," she breathed as she unfolded the two pieces of swimwear. Her breath hitched shortly. "Misty, what _is_ this?"

"Your swimsuit," Misty told her, a devious smile on her face as she reached for her own swimsuit of choice. "Drew's jaw is going to hit the floor the moment he sees you in that." She began to laugh uncontrollably as the blush on May's cheeks bloomed. "Relax. If it helps, I'm wearing something very similar. Don't worry."

May gulped before heading into the bathroom to change.

The two ladies went downstairs and out to the poolhouse after changing into their swimwear. Misty had nonchalantly strode in with just her bikini on, which made her look sultry and alluring, whereas May appeared with a terry cloth robe wrapped around her own body.

The brunette had refused to just step out into the open without it on, but Misty didn't put up much of a fight. She claimed that it was even better that May wanted to go out with a coverup since the element of surprise would make her look even more sexy once she took the coverup off.

May had rolled her eyes.

Ash and Drew were busy laughing it up in the pool, with Pikachu perched on Ash's shoulder. In the time that the two ladies took to get dressed, they had already gotten well acquainted with one another. Stories about their travels had been shared, jokes were told, casual topics were discussed, and of course, the inevitable "if-you-hurt-May-you'll-have-to-answer-to-me" speech was given by Ash, as predicted by Misty. Being the big brother that he was, Ash had jumped into it first thing, and though Drew knew not to take the death threats seriously, he still listened to every word. He wouldn't hurt May. Absolutely not.

"Sorry to keep you boys waiting," Misty said, immediately slipping into the pool.

"That's perfectly fine. You're well worth the wait," Ash replied, his black eyes raking her body.

"I'm sure," Misty purred back, her own eyes admiring the upper half of his fit body that was visible out of the water.

Gone was the chest of the lanky teenager that he used to be. It had been replaced by well-defined muscles that had developed over the years. A person would have a better chance of breaking their fist than hurting him if they ever decided to punch him in the chest. It was hard as a golem.

Drew shifted uncomfortably in the pool, while May shuddered and propped herself down onto one of the chaises in the poolhouse.

"Save it for the bedroom, you two," she called and laid back, resting her head on the makeshift pillow that she had made with a towel.

Hearing her voice, Pikachu leapt off of Ash's shoulder when it saw her, and ran up to her to leap onto her lap. It purred as it snuggled into her stomach.

"Hi there, Pikachu," she cooed, reaching up to pet it.

The little mouse smiled back at her and purred against her hand.

"Hey! May! Pikachu!" Ash called after noticing the absence of his pokémon, completely ignoring May's previous comment. He waved them over. "Get your lazy behinds up and over here!"

"Ash!" Misty snapped, a disapproving frown on her face, but it was quickly replaced by a mischievous grin. "May! Get in here!"

May grumbled something about impatience and peer pressure to Pikachu, who rolled its eyes and nodded in agreement before leaping off her lap. It bounded over to Ash and leapt onto his head, while May got up from the chaise.

All eyes were on her as she undid the sash around her waist and let the robe fall to the floor. Ash whistled jokingly at what he saw, while Misty laughed discreetly at Drew's reaction.

Just as Misty had predicted, his jaw dropped the second he saw May strip down to practically nothing. The bandeau top could have easily served as a push-up bra with the way it was making her breasts look. The suit was skimpy, but in more of a classy, seductive way, and the black orchid color of the suit looked great against her tanned skin. Drew couldn't get enough of her. His eyes drank her in from head to toe.

"You like it?" May asked Drew, a sultry smile on her lips as she approached the edge of the pool, watching with amusement as Drew struggled to pull his jaw back up.

"Come here," he managed to choke out and reached out for her.

The desire in his eyes was more than obvious. He needed to touch her.

May giggled and shook her head, backing up slowly until she was out of his reach. She was having fun teasing him.

"Don't you dare," he growled, his voice husky with desire.

With another giggle and shake of her head, she headed as far away from him as possible and dove into the pool. Once she touched the bottom, she resurfaced, making sure to pull her hair away from her face in an erotic manner as the water slid down her bare skin.

Drew groaned at the sight and lunged for her, pleading for her to let him touch her with his eyes.

She was _torturing_ him. Did she even realize how sexy she looked? Why did she keep swimming away? He had to catch her.

Ash and Misty watched as May continued to swim away from Drew. Misty could hardly contain her laughs, while Ash frowned, not knowing whether or not he should join in with her laughter, or be upset.

"Should I be letting this happen? She's like my little sister, after all," he asked Misty.

"Oh, lighten up," Misty insisted, waving a hand dismissively and turned to kiss him. "Let them have their fun."

Ash grunted and shook his head as if to rid himself of the images of the disturbing scene unfolding before him.

May squealed as Drew suddenly grabbed her behind the knees underwater. Once he resurfaced, she had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck or else she would have lost her balance. He smirked at her bewildered expression.

"Caught you," he whispered huskily, and leaned in to brush his nose back and forth against hers. Then, he clutched her closer to him and leaned in, pressing his lips to hers.

May giggled and reached up to cup his face, splaying her fingers to grip the side of his face closer as he deepened the kiss by sliding his tongue into her mouth.

"Kids, that's enough," Ash chided in a reprimanding tone as he covered Pikachu's eyes with his hand.

"Why? Is this sight bothering you?" Drew murmured with a smirk against May's lips.

"Of course it is! What kind of a brother would I be if I said I enjoyed the sight of you shoving your tongue into my sister's mouth?" Ash exclaimed with a shudder.

"Just don't look then," Misty said with an eye roll. Then, a very naughty smirk made its way onto her face and she pushed herself out of the pool. She turned to Ash with a beckoning expression. "Want to go in the hot tub with me?"

Ash took a minute to frown at her as he considered her request. But then, his own naughty smirk broke across his face and he instantly leapt out of the pool.

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Hehe, now wasn't this chapter just playful? Think_ Victoria's Secret_ swimsuits when you think of Misty and May's swimsuits. That should help. ;) Next chapter's the wedding! See you next week!


	27. The Wedding

**Update June 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>All I have to say is that this chapter took longer to get up because weddings are hard as crap to write and I'm still Nikki. I used to be PerlesAuTresor, but now I'm Mademoisella. I thought I needed a username change, so I went ahead and changed it, and no, I did not spell it wrong. Mademoiselle was taken, so I had to change the 'e' at the end to an 'a'. With that said, I wish you all happy reading! Please review! :)<p>

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>chocolatehell:<strong>__ Hehe, I'm an evil author. ;) Hopefully you will! That movie really is amazing! It just wouldn't be the same watching it at home; you need to see it in theaters at least once! And yeah, I know _exactly_ where you're going. Hi there, Alta. ;D (cough, yours are better, cough cough)  
><em>_**Chi-Chiwawa:**__ My friends who are taking anatomy now are apparently dissecting a cat for the next two or three weeks! I couldn't imagine having to do that... And it does have a really nice ring to it! It sounds very professional and important. :D Don't use either! He's so hott. ;D Dawn and Paul will be coming back in this chapter! Ash and Dawn _were_traveling partners, after all!  
>I saw the<em> Hunger Games_ already! Great movie! I think either Chace Crawford (I've always been a fan of him; that's a lot of sexiness walking around ;D) or Zac Efron. I don't know why people don't like Zac, though! He's an amazing actor who can play many roles! I mean, look at him in _The Lucky One_ trailer! His acting in _Charlie St. Cloud_ wasn't bad in the slightest either! Not to mention, that's one heck of a hunk. ;D  
><em>_**Catrina7077:**__ I promise! Brunetteshipping is going to be sticking around until near the very end! I won't tell you how, but I can guarantee that it's staying. It has a big part in the plot. :)  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Thanks!  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Don't you? :D  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ I'm so happy and proud of you for reading it! It's an amazing trilogy that was beautifully written! I got my friend into it and she literally finished the first book in a day! :D  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ I read every single book before seeing the movie and, let me tell you, I'm so happy with how the movie turned it! It stayed as true to the book as possible aside from two or three changes, but I'm fine with that! I swear, if life had a remote control, I'd be fast forwarding to November 23, 2013 right now. I want to see _Catching Fire_! Haha, I agree. I can't afford to go to the movies every day. xD  
>As for your questions, you'll find out soon!<br>__**Fprmr1: **__Writer's block needs to go away. It's not nice to anyone. :\  
><em>_**Pelkasauras -Cherry3456:**__ You make my day for reviewing! :D  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ LOL! That is much too soon! They're only 18, silly. xD I used to only like the idea of Brunetteshipping, but now I'm in love with it! I really want to start a Brunetteshipping fic, but I don't know. :P  
><em>_**LuvPeaceCandy:**__ s. :)  
><em>_**Morbid4everFlaming:**__ Hehe, let's see!  
><em>_**MightyDragonLover:**__ Don't worry, I got this. :)  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Well, I actually watched a Youtube book review for_ Mockingjay_ and found out that Katniss would end up with Peeta. The girl also said some things about Peeta be so incredibly sweet and selfless that I guess she just planted a biased seed into my mind; I liked Peeta before I even began reading the book, and he just continued to win me over. :D  
><em>_**Shininghrt of ThunderClan:**__ Well, thanks for the brain food! I never knew that! :)  
><em>_**shanafan. sapphire21:**__ Lol, Google Translator is literally my best friend in french class.  
><em>_**Obviously Citra:**__ Lol, I was wondering where you went! Glad that you decided to check out my profile! Otherwise I would've lost a reader and reviewer. :) Thanks!  
><em>_**LAPKat:**__ Lol, you know me. I like my writing fun. ;)  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ Oh my god, my parents were watching that while I was taking a nap on the couch. I caught a peek of it and, let me tell you, it was_ ugly_. Stupid, man-eating catfish...go die in a hole. ;D  
>I only read a couple of the<em> Series of Unfortunate Events_ books! It was a really addicting series, but I couldn't get my hands on all of the books, so I just stopped reading them. Maybe I'll read the entire series someday! Which one was your favorite book? I really liked the second one.  
><em>_**SpikEarPichu'sTrainer:**__ You know, I may just put Danielle in this chapter. I don't know about the other two because I don't know if I can fit that many cameos. Sorry! I'll try my best, though!  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ They're only going to get closer! :D  
><em>_**Shadow Lilies:**__ I know! Where have you been? I missed you!  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Lol, thanks!  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ Ash really isn't as big of an idiot as some fics make him out to be! He was really smart in the anime! Just goofy, is all, lol. xD  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ It is an awesome movie! I really can't get over how amazing it was! I love the_ Hunger Games _with all of my heart! If I ever get to meet Suzanne Collins, that woman is getting a big hug!  
><em>_**ShadowAoi:**__ Lol, I had an art teacher with the last name of Hayburn and his voice was incredibly monotone, too! I almost fell asleep during every single one of his classes just by listening to his voice alone!_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 27<strong>

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><p>Daisy Wayne could feel the tears stinging the her green eyes as she took a step back to admire the beauty of her youngest sister.<p>

She, along with her other younger sisters, Lily and Violet, had spent the last couple of hours working on Misty in her room in Viridian City. They had been prepping and pampering Misty for her wedding day the entire time, doing all that they could to bring out all of her beauty. By the time they were done with their baby sister, Misty looked more enchanting than she ever did before. Beauty radiated off her at every angle.

The youngest sister was clad in her wedding dress. A simple, yet refined white dress that began at the flattering halter bodice to the elegant sweep train that trailed down behind her. A piece of the chiffon material of the dress was clipped up at her hip with a beautiful crystal brooch that matched the crystal comb in her hair, both accessories passed down from their late mother.

A satin baby blue ribbon was also clipped at her hip by the brooch as well, descending from there all the way down to the ground. It had once been the lining of her father's baby blanket. She and her three sisters had each gotten a ribbon from each side of the square blanket to use as their "something blue" at their weddings. So far, only Daisy's had been used.

Misty's glossy orange hair had gone through a thorough treatment prior to getting dressed, so that it was at its best state. After she got her dress on, it was pulled into a bun at the back of her head. The cathedral length veil, that was borrowed from Daisy, flowed out of the top of the bun, the tulle material flowing down Misty's back like a waterfall. The two-tier veil gave her a very romantic look as well as enhancing her gown. Her mother's crystal comb was what held the veil to the bun.

Her makeup was kept as simple and minimal as possible. The goal was to enhance her natural beauty, not to create an entirely different face for her. Only blemishes that required concealing were concealed. Champagne eyeshadow was brushed across her eyelids and dark brown mascara coated her eyelashes, accentuating her green eyes. Peach lip gloss with gold reflexes was swiped across her lips. And blush was dusted onto her cheeks to give her a rosy glow. The result was a settle makeup look that made her look radiant and fresh, not dramatic and overdone.

"I can't believe you're going to be married in just a few hours," Daisy muttered as she gently brushed Misty's cheeks with the tips of her fingers, so as to not mess up her makeup.

"Our little Misty's all grown up," Violet sniffled, watching the scene while trying desperately not to cry.

Misty smiled and blinked back her own tears that were threatening to well up in her eyes.

"I'll always be your baby sister," she assured her older siblings.

Lily tucked a strand of her pink hair behind her ear as she finished adjusting Misty's veil.

"Stop making her cry, guys," she told Daisy and Violet. "She's going to smudge her makeup."

"As if you're not secretly crying yourself, Lily," Violet retorted, but her voice was soft.

Lily said nothing. Her glossy blue eyes and sniffle spoke for her.

"Lily's right," Daisy piped up, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. Then, she gave a shaky laugh to lighten the mood. "We wouldn't want to mess up all of our makeup. We just spent the past couple hours in my room putting it on, so let's not take it off with our tears.

"Besides, we need to get this beauty to her wedding." She paused to hand Misty her bouquet. "Are you ready to go, sweetheart?"

Misty sucked in a ragged breath and nodded, beaming as she stared into the eyes of her maid of honor, otherwise known as her eldest sister.

"I'm ready to go," she confirmed.

* * *

><p>Ash adjusted the knot of his steel blue tie for the umpteenth time upon arriving at the location of his wedding. Clad in an all white, he looked very handsome and put together. His button-down shirt and tuxedo were crisp and clean. His patent leather dress shoes were polished and new. Even his usual messy, raven hair was styled and gelled so that it was nice and neat. His nerves were the only flaw in his otherwise debonair appearance.<p>

"Ash, stop fiddling around," Brock, his best man, snapped. "You've been messing with your tie for the past fifteen minutes. Calm your nerves!"

"I can't calm my nerves! I'm nervous!" Ash exclaimed, but he removed his hand from his tie. "I'm getting married today! How can I even think to calm my nerves?"

"We know, Ash," Harrison Wayne, the guy he battled during the Silver Conference, one of his two groomsmen, and Daisy's husband of six years said. "We were all in your position before, too. If we were able to conquer our nerves, you're able to, too. It's really not that hard. Just stand at the altar, say your vows, tell the officiate that you'll marry Misty, and then kiss your bride."

"Harrison's right," Ritchie Mendelson, the second groomsmen and one of Ash's old friends, who was often seen as Ash's brunet twin, added. "You've always been such a confident guy—where did all of your confidence go? I feel like Misty's just marrying a bag of nerves today."

Ritchie's pikachu, Sparky, and Ash's pikachu nodded in agreement from where they sat on Ritchie's shoulders.

"You guys really aren't helping," Ash snapped, his eyes narrowing at the three men and two pokémon surrounding him.

"Just think of it this way," Brock instructed, and began to recall all of the extreme things that Ash had done so far in his lifetime, counting them down on his fingers. "You earned every single badge from every single region known to mankind. You participated in every single Pokémon League and took on all the frontier brains. You encountered almost every single legendary pokémon. You survived every electric shock from Pikachu, every Flamethrower from Charizard, every Tackle from Bayleef, and so on. You also survived being the only one in the room when my darling wife's water broke two months ago and lived through her death grip on your hand."

"That last one was probably the hardest thing I had to do," Ash inserted, while frowning at the memory. Solidad's grip had nearly cut off the circulation in his fingers on the day of her sons' arrival into the world.

Brock frowned as he nodded in agreement.

"Oh, I know. She nearly took both of my hands off in the delivery room, while she was screaming at me for all of the torture and pain she had to endure to bring our sons into the world," he said. "She even threatened to take away my nether regions so that I wouldn't have a chance of putting her through all of that again."

All six men and pokémon winced.

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess I have nothing to worry about," Ash said after a while, his shoulders relaxing as he let out a sigh.

Ritchie nodded.

"Believe me, if you managed to do all of _that_, you can do anything," he insisted.

Harrison added to the pep talk by giving Ash an encouraging clap on the back.

"You can do this, Ash," he said.

"Yeah," Ash muttered, while turning to look at the brunet. "Thanks for letting Misty and I use your backyard for our wedding, by the way, Harrison. It means a lot."

Said man shrugged.

"It's no big deal. Daisy adores Misty and you're one of my best friends. It's the least we could do," he insisted. "Just keep in mind that you're hiring a cleanup crew for us before your honeymoon."

* * *

><p>Dawn scanned the crowd as she lingered beside her mother, Johanna, who was conversing with Ash's mother, and Paul, who was standing with his arms crossed across his chest as he stared at nothing.<p>

She was looking for the head of brunette hair amongst the wedding attendees that she had been longing to see ever since the last day of summer. She missed her friend so much, and she couldn't wait to see her again. It had been entirely too long since they had seen each other.

"Do you see May anywhere, Paul?" Dawn asked her boyfriend.

Paul did a quick scan of the area with his eyes before returning to stare at nothing.

"No," he deadpanned. "How am I supposed to find her with all these people roaming around? She's not exactly the tallest girl in the world, you know."

Dawn rolled her eyes and frowned, not knowing if she should take Paul's comment about May's height as an insult or not. She was the same height as her friend, after all.

"Look for the head of brown hair, you dope," she instructed, deciding to ignore it.

Paul nodded in the direction of Delia Ketchum.

Dawn snapped her head around, thinking she would find May. But when she saw that it was only Mrs. Ketchum, she turned back to Paul. Her eyes twitched before her lids drooped down halfway.

"I meant the other head of brown hair," she deadpanned, mimicking her boyfriend's tone.

Paul narrowed his eyes at her. "I see at least _ten _heads with brown hair, Dawn."

"The one with _wavy_, brown hair!"

"There are about five of those."

"_Long_, wavy, brown hair, then!"

"Two of those."

Dawn let out a frustrated growl, causing Delia and Johanna to glance at her in bemusement.

Ignoring their questioning stares, she dismissed herself and went off to search for May herself, muttering curses under her breath. Her boyfriend was such a pain in the butt sometimes.

Paul followed closely behind her, clearly trying to suppress a smile as he thought about how fun it was to get a rise out of Dawn. She was just so adorable when she was angry. The shade of pink that colored her cheeks whenever she was riled up always complemented her skin tone so well, and he wondered if that was why she chose to wear a dress in the same shade of pink to Ash and Misty's wedding. He had to admit, it complemented her tiny figure very well, too.

The playful pink number hit her just above her knees. The entire V neck bodice was exquisitely sequined as well as the top of the skirt. While the bodice hugged her figure, the tulle skirt flared out in a romantic style. The entire dress was finished off by a gleaming satin waistband, and she paired it with a pair of silver heels. And with her hair pulled into a side ponytail, Paul thought she looked great. If only she would slow down so that he could catch up.

Dawn weaved her way through the group of wedding attendees, trying to find May without much avail. There were only about twenty-five people present, but she still had difficulty pinpointing the brunette. Perhaps it was because Harrison and Lily's backyard was so big; it was pretty difficult to find anyone.

Luckily, Ash and Misty had only invited their immediate family and close friends. Not many people fell in those two categories, so she didn't have to worry about being overwhelmed. There were only about forty wedding guests at most.

"Maybe she didn't get here yet," Paul offered, coming up to the blunette's side after finally managing to catch up.

"She's here," Dawn asserted. "She's been staying with Ash and Misty, and they're already here. Her family is, too. If we just saw Ash and her family not too long ago, then she must be here already, too."

Paul grunted at her, irritated over the fact that she was right. "What's the rush, anyway? She's not going anywhere."

"Because I don't know the next time I'm going to see her after today! Now, help me find her!"

Paul rolled his eyes and slowed his pace after catching sight of whom his girlfriend was looking for. He reached out to grab her wrist before she sped off any further.

"Relax, Dawn," he told her, when she turned to give him a glare. "I found her."

Dawn's face instantly brightened up. "Really? Where?"

Paul pointed to the back of a brunette girl, who was standing just a few feet to the right of their position, beside a guy with green hair. Half of her brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, while the rest of her waves fell down her back.

The top half of her dress had a cowl neck blouson bodice that flowed a ruched, body-con skirt. The gun metal grey rhinestone accents of the shoulder straps gave the otherwise simple dress some glam, and matched the color of the girl's strappy heels. The whole assemble was already so very May-like, but the gold charm bracelet around her wrist fully confirmed that it was really her.

Dawn wasted no time in dashing to her friend, leaving an irritated Paul behind. It wasn't until she got close enough that she noticed that May was holding hands with the guy that she was standing beside.

She slowed her pace to give herself some time to figure out who the guy was as she crept up to the pair. It took a moment for her to come up with a name, but when she suddenly remembered whom it was that May was traveling with, she nearly stopped her sneak attack.

_Drew_. May was holding hands with _Drew_.

Dawn had to snap herself out of her awed trance before she reached out to poke May's sides with her fingers.

May let out a small yelp, startling Drew, who slightly jumped in place. The couple immediately turned around to see who had come up behind them. When May's eyes landed on the cherubic face of Dawn Berlitz, she let out a gasp of surprise followed by a squeal, and lunged to crush her friend in hug, making Drew jump once again.

"Dawn!" she cried happily, rocking herself and her friend from side to side.

"May!" Dawn exclaimed back, squeezing her friend's stomach, while the brunette nearly suffocated her with her arms around her neck. "It's so good to see you!"

Paul came up behind the two hugging girls with his hands shoved into his pocket. He gave them a quick glance and rolled his eyes before turning to Drew. The two guys nodded at one another in acknowledgement.

"Long time no see, Paul," Drew greeted his friend, the only one out of May's entire group that he had really associated himself with.

The two had formed a friendship in their Pokémon Health class back at Lilycove University High the first week that Drew had transferred there.

"Likewise. How is your journey going?" Paul asked, his voice and face still emotionless, though he was quite happy to be seeing another friend at Ash and Misty's wedding.

"Great. And yours?"

"Oh, of course his journey is going great," Dawn interrupted as she pulled away from May. She grinned slyly as she glanced between the two of them. "With May with him, how could he _not _be having a good time? Didn't you see them holding hands?" She turned to glare playfully at May. "Why didn't you tell me that you were dating Drew?"

May blushed as she avoided Dawn's eyes. "I figured you'd find out on your own here, so I didn't see the need."

"There's always a need to tell one of your best friends about your boyfriend! Wait until Marina and Natalie hear about this! They're going to go crazy!"

Paul rolled his eyes at his girlfriend. "Don't you think you should leave it up to Drew and May to inform others about their relationship?"

"Nobody asked you!" Dawn snapped, turning around to glare at her boyfriend.

"Just like no one asked you to inform others about Drew and May's relationship?" Paul shot back, crossing his arms over his chest as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Who said that _I_ was going to do that? _Where_ is your evidence?"

"You implied it."

"I did not!"

Drew wrapped an arm around May's waist as he watched the petite blunette step up in front of Paul to continue snapping at him.

"Do we ever bicker like that?" he asked.

"Nope," she responded without taking her eyes off of Dawn and Paul.

"Oh. I hope we never do then."

May turned to smile up at her boyfriend. "Same here."

* * *

><p>Ash made his way to the altar by walking along the rose-lined stone walkway. With every step that he took, he took alternating glimpses to the left and right of him to glance at his family and friends.<p>

All of the wedding guests were present, occupying most of the forty seats in the two separate four-by-five seating arrangement on either side of the walkway. His mother sat in the very front row of seats to his right, glancing back at him as she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. Professor Oak was giving her back a comforting pat from where he sat in the row behind her, along with Gary, Tracy Sketchit, and Professor Oak's new disciple, a pretty brunette girl named Leaf.

The rest of the seats in the arrangement were occupied by all fifteen members of Brock's large family: Solidad; their month-old twins Caleb and Joshua; his parents; his nine younger siblings; and Forrest's wife, Fleur. Ash took in all of their faces before glancing to left at the occupants of the other seats.

Drew and May took up an entire row with May's family. Dawn along with her mother and Paul sat in another row, the other two seats taken up by Todd Snap, an old friend of Ash and Misty's, and Scott, the creator of the Battle Frontier in Hoenn.

Professor Birch and his family took up the final row with Iris and Cilan, Ash's last two traveling partners. The remaining seats were occupied by other friends and family. They all smiled at him, watching as he took his proud and final walk as a bachelor.

May squeezed Drew's hand as she watched one of her best friends come to a stop at the altar below the arch made with dusty pink roses.

It was _his_ day. He would be marrying the love of his life in less than an hour. They would be exchanging their vows, and then they would be made husband and wife. She could hardly contain the tears as she watched him, so she diverted her gaze and looked at the guests sitting in the other seats.

She saw Ash's mother, beaming with pride as her one and only son took his last steps as an unmarried man.

She saw Brock's large family and his two baby boys, sleeping soundly in their stroller beside Solidad's seat.

She saw Brendan sitting behind her father at the end of the row, but he wasn't looking at her. She felt her heart tighten as she wondered if they would go the entire day without talking to one another. They had yet to speak a word to one another.

And then, she saw Gary, sitting beside his grandfather on the other side.

As if he felt her gaze, the brunet looked over at her, locking eyes with her. May gave him a small smile, feeling proud of herself when she realized that she no longer felt anything for the young professor. The thought of having feelings for another guy when she was dating Drew had plagued her mind for weeks. She had feared that when she saw Gary again, she would be left confused and torn again, thus throwing her back into the period of time where she had to struggle to choose between Gary or Drew.

Now, she was relieved to discover that her fears had not come true. Everything was right with the world. And when Gary smiled back at her, she was able to just turn her head away to bring her attention back to Ash.

A traditional wedding march began to play as the backdoors of Harrison and Daisy's home opened. Ritchie and Violet were the first pair to walk out together, her arm in his as he walked with her down to the altar. The silver bridesmaid gown that she and her other two sisters wore trailed out behind her, making her look as if she had been doused in liquid silver.

Not too long after, Harrison and Lily followed, and then the best man and maid of honor, Brock and Daisy.

Misty stood back, her arm in her father's as she waited until it was her turn to step out. She watched with her heart palpitating in her chest as she watched the flower girl (Forrest's four-year-old daughter Angela) and ring bearer (Daisy's five-year-old son Matthew) walk down the aisle, Angela throwing pink rose petals into the air with every step she took.

Once the groomsmen and bridesmaids took their places on either side of Ash, her father took her out of the house and out into the open for everyone to see.

Jaws hit the floor in awe as the guests took in Misty's beauty. Ash's eyes visibly widened as he drank in the sight of his wife-to-be, looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her before. Watching as she came closer and closer to the altar with her bouquet cradled in her hands, the nerves that his best friends had worked so hard to drive away earlier returned.

And yet, a huge, dopey grin still managed to break forth from his face, as much as his nerves tried to keep it from doing so.

He was finally going to marry her! Misty was going to be his wife. He was going to get to spend the rest of his life with her. The love of his life. The woman that had stolen his heart at the age of ten and never gave it back. The woman that he would gladly allow to keep his heart for the rest of their lives. The woman who made him feel like the luckiest man in the world whenever she smiled at him.

Just like she was currently doing as her father brought her to her husband-to-be.

"Take care of my baby girl, Ash," Charles Clearwater whispered to his son-in-law.

Ash smiled, but his eyes didn't leave Misty's.

"I will," he promised.

Charles smiled at him and turned to plant a kiss on his youngest daughter's cheek before passing her on to his son-in-law, who eagerly held put his elbow out for her to take. Then, he turned and went down to sit down in his seat beside Delia, smiling at the woman who had brought his daughter's husband in the world before directing his smile at his wife up in the heavens. She would have been so proud if she were still alive.

The minister smiled proudly at Ash and Misty, and began to speak to those gathered to witness.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of Arceus and these witnesses to join Ash and Misty in matrimony," he began to say, but Ash's mind drowned out the rest of his words.

He was too busy smiling at the vision of loveliness standing beside him to pay much attention. He almost forgot to say his vows when the time came until the minister cleared his throat, making the audience and Misty laugh.

"Sorry about that," he muttered under his breath and cleared his own throat before turning to Misty, taking her hands in his.

He righted himself before beginning to speak, meeting her beautiful green eyes. The eyes that he would get to stare into for the rest of his life.

"My beloved Misty, do you remember when we first met? I burned your bike to a crisp with Pikachu's Thunderbolt," he began, but was interrupted by the audience's laughter.

Misty herself gave a shaky laugh, though her eyes were already welling up with tears.

Ash smiled at her before going on, "But I'm glad that I did. If I hadn't done so, you never would've came along with me on my journey to get me to replace it for you. The days I spent traveling with you were the best days of my life, because I got to have you by my side. Over time, you have become not just my best friend, but my lover, my confidant, and the love of my life.

"You stole my heart, and I couldn't be more at ease with it in your possession, because I trust you and love you with all that I am. I love you for your beauty, your intelligence, your kindness, and for the way you always know how to make me feel so special, regardless of how dumb I may get some times.

"I want to thank you for allowing me the privilege of calling you 'wife' after today, and my future children the honor of calling you 'mom'.

"So, on top of all the other vows that I will make to you on our wedding day, I also vow to always appreciate how lucky I am to have someone who makes me feel the way you do, to remind you every day just how thankful I am to have you in my life, and to make you feel as special as you make me feel.

"I promise to never stop loving you, Misty, because you deserve every ounce of love that I have to offer. I am proud to take you now as my wife."

Misty took a deep breath to hold back the whimper that threatened to escape, but she was unable to hold back the tears that slipped out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She glanced to the ground to compose herself before beginning her own vows, surprised when she managed to find her voice.

"Many people spend their lives searching for their soulmate, their one true love," she began. "Some people are lucky to find the person that they can truly call the better half of themselves, while others spend the rest of their lives searching and never finding. I am grateful to be able to count myself among the lucky ones, because I certainly found you—and since I found you, I shall never let you go.

"I am happy and I am grateful that you came into my life, even if you burned my bike to a crisp when you first walked into it." She paused to laugh along with Ash and the audience members. "I promise to encourage your individuality, because that is what makes you unique and wonderful. I promise to nurture your dreams, because through them your soul shines. I promise to help shoulder our challenges, because through them we'll emerge stronger. I promise to share with you the joys of life, because with you, they will be that much sweeter.

"Lastly, I promise to you perfect love and perfect trust. I am truly blessed to be a part of your life, which as of today becomes our life together. I shall always stand steadfast at your side with your hand in mine, regardless of what life would bring to us.

"I love you, Ash Ketchum, and will continue to do so for as long as I shall live. I take you as my husband today with much eagerness and happiness."

Various members of the party that had gathered to witness the marriage of Ash and Misty wiped away their tears as they watched Ash and Misty slip their wedding bands onto each other's fingers, completely moved by everything they had just heard.

And when the minister asked for anyone who knew any reason as to why the two should not marry each other to speak up or forever hold their peace, no one said a word because there were no existing reasons as to why Ash and Misty shouldn't marry one another.

They were perfect for one another. They deserved all the happiness that life had in store for them.

That's why, when the distance was closed between their lips, finally making them husband and wife, everyone clapped and cheered.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I have to admit, I cried while going back and editing this chapter. Once I got to the vows, I couldn't stop the tears. Wedding vows are just so beautiful! Ashy-boy's all grown up. D;

I bet you guys are disappointed that there weren't any Gary and Brendan interactions, right? Well, don't be, because everything you want will be in the next chapter. Everything's going to take place during the reception. Just stay tuned for next week! Until then, please review. :)


	28. Reception

**Update June 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p><em><strong>Responses to Reviews...<br>Saikono-san:**__I know! I love Gary! :D  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ I really annoyed that they didn't put Marina, Jimmy, or Leaf in the anime! I feel that Marina and Jimmy would've been great traveling partners for Ash when he was traveling through Johto! And unfortunately, she's only going to make a few cameos in this story. :P I'm so happy that you love the _Hunger Games_!  
><em>_**LAPKat:**__ Lol, believe me, the drama and fun is _far_ from over. And there's some tragedy coming up, too! We have twelve more chapters to go! :)  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ Lol, aww! :D And well, it's kind of hard _not_ to know what the main shipping of a story on Fanfiction is considering the fact that the shippings/pairings are always listed. xD Glad you find my plot original, though! Thank you!  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ I'm sorry, but I didn't understand a word of your review. I found it highly amusing, though. xD  
><em>_**Contestshippingfan:**__ Eh, I don't really like fighting, so neither of them are the fighting-type (lol, no pokémon pun intended). But, I will tell you, that there _is_ going to be some_major_ conflict in the last ten chapters. :)  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Why are guys with the name Gary so amazing? I'm going to name my son Gary in the future. And I'm definitely going to be one of the first people to buy the DVD and I'll be watching it over and over until_ Catching Fire_ comes out. Cato and Peeta are just...too gorgeous for words. D I do plan on inserting different shipping moments in the upcoming chapters. My favorite shipping is obviously Contestshipping. Second would be Brunetteshipping (of course xD). And then, third would be Questshipping. I don't really have a fourth, though. I really haven't given any other shippings much thought. Do you have any good fics revolving around a shipping that I haven't mentioned that you could recommend? I'd appreciate it. :)  
><em>_**SpikEarPichu'sTrainer:**__ I'm sorry to say, but I'm really not going to be going in depth with your characters because I really can't find a spot to fit a long cameo! You see, I already planned out the entire storyline back in February or so, so if I change things to fit in your cameo, I'll be throwing myself off. All three of your characters will still be appearing, but the love triangle may or may not be written. :\  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Lol, don't forget, most of the characters are under the age of 21, but I'll see what I can do. xD  
><em>_**Blademon:**__ Don't apologize! Just so long as you start reviewing again to make up for the lost ones. xD Thank you for everything you said!  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ Mmm, Drew and Gary are both very civil guys (well, how I characterize them, anyways), so there isn't going to be any physical conflict—I hate fighting. _But_ there_is _going to be a huge issue in the last ten chapters involving the two and May. :) Anyways, I forgot to write it in the PM that I sent you, so I'll just include it in this response. I hope you had fun at your prom if you went (you told me that you had a possibility of going)!  
>And I did change my username, but I forgot when I posted the last chapter, lol! Thanks for being the one to remind me! xD It's Mademoisella, now since Mademoizelle ended up being taken, which is fine. I like Mademoisella better. :P I'm a chocolate freak, too! Especially dark chocolate. There's something about the slight bitterness in it that just attracts me to it.<br>I've been wanting to read the _Millennium _series for the longest time, but I can't get my hands on the books! I really hate borrowing books from the library (I don't know why. Maybe it's because I hate the feeling of having a due date?) and I don't feel like buying them yet, so I don't know when I'll get them. I definitely won't be watching the movie anytime soon, either because, one, I just don't do horror movies, and two, even if I do pucker up the courage to watch the movie, I don't want to watch it before I read the books. And plus, I want to read the _Pretty Little Liars_ series first (thanks to you :D).  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Thank you! :D  
><em>_**Chi-Chiwawa:**__ Lol, he didn't even get near her! xD And I agree with you about everything you said about those guys, especially Chace Crawford. God, how is it even possible for someone to be that good looking? I forget the Avox's name, and I was really upset when Thresh died! I hated his death in both the movie and book! But I suppose I'm glad that someone else killed him. I would've been devastated if Peeta or Katniss had to be the one to do it. :\ And I think Drew Van Acker or Drew Roy could be the one to play Finnick. _Not_because they're both named Drew, but because they're _so_ incredibly good looking!  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ You'll see what happens in this chapter, eh? :)  
><em>_**TopHatsNPyros:**__ Same! Tears filled my eyes when I was writing the chapter, too!  
><em>_**xDragonairx:**__ Dragonair is_ boss._ And beautiful. :) Misty's mallet! And her lure! Two of my favorite things from her! Gotta love that girl! ;D  
><em>_**Shiningheart of ThunderClan:**__ Lol, you know, you gave me an idea with your review. Thanks. :)  
><em>_**anon:**__ Thanks!  
><em>_**shanafan. sapphire21:**__Lol, I saved all of that for this chapter. :)  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ It's fine! I understand! I'm just happy that you took the time to catch yourself up with my story! Thank you! :D  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Lol, you're a Penguinshipper? And nah, Team Rocket isn't going to be making a cameo. They're not exactly Ash's best friends and even _they_'re considerate enough to not try anything at his wedding. Not to mention all of the boss trainers and coordinators who would blast them away with their boss pokémon. ;D As for the Pikachu and Misty's water-type pokémon thing...I'm really upset that I didn't think of that! That's very cute. :D And Psyduck...I'll see. :)  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Here it is! xD  
><em>_**BittersweetSienna:**__ Lol, Drew meant _after_ they began dating. But you're right, they did argue like that before. ;D There are twelve chapters left, so that means we have about three more months of updates to go. :)  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Lol, Ash and Misty's day! Contestshipping fluff was moved aside for a chapter. It's back now! ;) And oh my god, I'm totally going to use that pickup line! I really liked it! It's so cute and cheesy! ;D And don't worry, I spend my time reading _Pretty Little Liars_ spoilers. I have less of a life than you do. :p  
><em>_**Contestshipping Beautifly:**__ BAHAHAHAHAHAHA, I'm_ SO_ not going to comment on anything you said! I'd be mad spoiling the story if I do! ;D  
><em>_**leontinees:**__ Where have you been? I've missed you! And yeah, I've always wondered about that. Why aren't there any weddings in the anime? :\_

* * *

><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 28<strong>

* * *

><p>"So, you're dating May?" Dawn catechized the green-haired boyfriend of her friend, who stood beside her, while May took a picture with her family and the newlyweds.<p>

The guy in question nodded slowly, while eying the short girl warily.

"Yes," he answered.

"And May's dating you?"

"Um...yes."

Paul snorted from where he stood behind the two of them.

"What was the point of asking that? If he's dating her then she's obviously dating him, too," he stated with an eye roll.

Dawn turned to glare at him. "Shut your mouth before I shove your PokéBalls down your throat."

Drew coughed to hide his laugh at Dawn's inadvertent innuendo just as she turned back around to face him.

"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by my jerk of a boyfriend," she began, raising her voice near the end just to make sure that Paul heard her loud and clear, "Since you two are dating one another now—and also traveling together—I just wanted to let you that you'd better not break May's heart or I'll break your pretty face, okay?"

Drew blinked in surprise. "You're very violent for such a small person, aren't you?"

Dawn gave him a pseudo smile as she hummed in agreement before allowing her face to morph into something very close to a glare.

"Well?" she pressed.

"You have my word that I will never hurt May," Drew vowed, sincerity wrapping his words like a blanket.

Dawn nodded to show her approval, while Paul stepped up to her side, turning to face Drew.

"Good, make sure you _do_ take care of her," he began, startling both Drew and Dawn, who blinked up at him in shock. "As much as I hate to admit this, she's as much my friend as she is Dawn's. So, if you hurt her, I won't hesitate to hurt you."

Dawn could hardly contain the large grin that spread across her lips as she stared up at her boyfriend in wonder.

"That's the most humane thing I've heard you say all day besides 'congratulations' to Ash and Misty," she said.

Paul simply grunted in response, evidently disappointed in himself for showing benevolence.

"Well, I can assure the both of you that I won't be hurting May any time soon—or ever, for that matter," Drew promised after getting over his state of awe. "She means a lot to me."

"Perfect. Then we're reassured," Dawn told him with a smile.

"Reassured about what?"

All three of them turned around to find May approaching them with her family. She strode right up to Drew's side to grab his hand.

"Reassured about what?" she repeated.

"Nothing," Drew answered before anyone else could. "Dawn and Paul were just asking some questions about the Kanto region, is all."

"Oh, you guys are planning on traveling in Kanto?" May asked, genuinely surprised. Then, she turned to Dawn. "You never told me about this."

"It was just a thought," Dawn insisted, playing along with Drew's lie. "Paul and I are going to get through Sinnoh before we start thinking about any other regions. Anyway..." She bent forward to glance past Max at Ash and Misty, who were waving her and Paul over. "I think Ash and Misty want us to take a picture with them. Let's go over, Paul."

Max stepped closer to his sister to give Dawn and Paul room to pass by him. Pushing his glasses up with his finger, he glanced downward, only to see Drew and May's intertwined hands. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, while he eyed the clasped hands beside him with disdain.

"I can't believe you guys are dating," he expressed.

"It's not really that hard to believe, is it?" Drew asked with an amused smirk as he looked from May to Max.

"For me, yes, considering the fact that she _is_ my _sister_."

"Your _older_ sister," May corrected.

"Does it matter?" he countered.

"Max, that's enough," Caroline reprimanded her son in a gentle tone before turning to look at her daughter and her boyfriend. "It's great to see you two getting along so well, dears."

"Thanks, Mom," May said with a smile.

Norman cleared his throat as he placed a hand on his wife's back, politely interrupting her before she could respond.

"As happy as your mother and I are to see you two getting along so greatly, we still expect for you two to behave yourselves while you're on your travels," he said firmly, yet gently. "Can we trust you to do that?"

"Absolutely, Mr. Maple," Drew answered on behalf of himself and May.

"Good," Norman said. "And please call me Norman. We were on first name basis before you began to date my daughter, so after should be no different."

Drew nodded with a smile. "Will do, Norman."

Norman gave him and May one last nod of approval before dismissing himself and his wife.

Max shook his head as his parents took their leave.

"Well, that went better than I expected it to," he admitted.

May cocked an eyebrow at him. "Were you hoping for it to have gone worse?"

"Maybe. I was kind of hoping that I would be able to say to Drew what I said to Evan a few years ago."

"Oh really? And what was that?"

Max turned to Drew with a menacing glint in his eyes. "If you hurt my sister, I'll hunt you down and pulverize you."

May glared at him in disbelief, while Drew chuckled, wondering just how many times he would be receiving threats for the rest of the day.

"You won't be getting the opportunity to do that because I won't be hurting her," he assured.

May smiled up at Drew as Max nodded his acceptance.

"Great," he expressed. "Now that I've played the role of the brother, I can go on with my life. Just make sure you don't get her pregnant or anything—I think Dad might kill you before I do."

May gasped in shock before sending a mock punch flying to her brother's arm.

"What's wrong with you?" she screeched.

"Hey! I'm just saying! I don't want to become an uncle so early in my life!"

"Get out of here, Max Maple!" May laughed, letting go of Drew's hand to muss up her brother's navy hair.

"Whoa! Watch the hair, Maybear!"

Drew busted out laughing before he could stop himself. "Maybear? Is that what your family calls her at home?"

"No, Ash and Gary came up with that name for her, but I use it sometimes just to piss her off. We call her—"

Max didn't get to say the name before May clamped a hand over his mouth, using the other to shove him away. He ran away chortling.

"Your brother is awesome," Drew remarked with a laugh as May came back up to him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You think so? I find him incredibly annoying."

"He's funny. He'd make a great uncle for our babies someday."

May threw her head back to laugh. "As if I will be having your babies."

Drew chuckled with her as he brought his arms around her waist to draw her close. "Why not? I think we'd make very cute babies together."

"Hm, I keep picturing a baby boy with a big head full of grass hair," she said as she played with a button on his shirt. She smiled up at him teasingly. "I don't think so."

"Hey...I don't have a big head."

"You're right, but you do have a big ego. That's not exactly an ideal trait for my son, either."

"But I'm so good looking. Imagine how many girls would swoon over our son if he ends up looking like me."

"And there goes that big ego!"

Drew laughed before his cheerful expression faltered a bit after realizing that he had a question that she needed to answer.

"Who's Evan?" he asked.

"A guy that tried to ask me out during my sophomore year," May answered.

"Did he succeed?"

"No," she responded simply and surely. She smiled at him when he still remained a little uneasy. "Are you jealous?"

"Maybe," he admitted through a slight smirk.

"Don't be. He wasn't very good looking, anyway," May lied.

Evan was actually quite handsome, if her memory served her correctly, but Drew didn't need to know that.

"Oh really? How so?"

"He had these big buck teeth and large ears that stuck out of his head. He looked like a raticate."

Drew laughed, knowing that she was lying but enjoying the boost she was giving to his ego. "Not at all the traits you would want for your son, right?"

May grinned cheekily at him. "Not at all."

A person cleared his throat from behind them just as Drew leaned in to peck May on the lips. Turning around, May was mortified to find that it was Brendan standing behind them. His amber eyes nearly stopped the beating of her heart.

"Hi," he greeted, the expression on his face unreadable as his eyes leapt from Drew to May. They lingered on May as he went on to say, "Sorry to interrupt, but do you think I could talk to you for a moment?"

Drew shifted the hold around May's waist uncomfortably as he took Brendan's request. He didn't know if he should let go of May and let her talk to her friend, or hold onto her and keep her from leaving his side.

May made the decision for him when she gently eased herself out of his hold and took a step in Brendan's direction.

"I'll be right back," she told him with a reassuring smile.

Then, she took the remaining steps to get to Brendan, who nodded at him in acknowledgement before walking away with the brunette.

Drew could feel himself growing uneasy as he watched them go.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" May asked hesitantly, after Brendan led her up the stairs of the side porch of Harrison and Daisy's home. She leaned back against the railing, while gripping the bar with her hands.

The nervous gesture didn't go by undetected by Brendan, who, to her surprise, laughed, sounding much like his old self back before the whole mess at the end of the spring.

"Don't look so scared, May," he told her.

May could feel herself relaxing a bit at his light tone, but she could also feel a part of herself holding back, a cautious reflex.

"Aren't you..." she wanted to ask, but ended up trailing off.

"Aren't I mad at you?" Brendan finished for her.

She nodded. And then, to her utter shock and relief, he shook his head.

"I'll admit, I was pretty mad at you for a while," he began to say, and May could feel her breath hitch. "I was mad at you for insisting on traveling with him after I told you how I felt about you. I felt as if you were choosing him over me, and I couldn't understand it, especially since we knew each other so much longer, and we talked about traveling together long before he even came into the picture.

"It definitely took me a while to get over that, but I eventually did." He paused shortly to give her a reassuring smile. "But once I ran into you at Mulberry City, and you refused to leave with me again, all the anger I felt before returned—and worst of all, the rejection did, too. I got rejected from you all over again."

"Brendan, I'm so sorry!" May interrupted, guilt and desperation evident in her eyes. "I never meant to hurt you. I just—"

"May, chill, it's okay," he cut in before she could go on any further. "As I told you, I'm okay now. Sure, it hurt like hell, and that's why I left, but I'm beyond over that now. I came to my senses and realized that I was wrong for trying to get you to go back on your word to leave with me.

"I've known you for years, so I should've remembered that you're a girl of your word—you were raised that way. You didn't make a promise to travel with me, but you did with Drew, and asking you to go back on that promise was completely inconsiderate of me. Instead of respecting you for your integrity, I shunned you for it. And I was wrong.

"It took me the longest time to realize that I was wrong—and stupid. I was losing my best friend and pushing her away, all because I couldn't accept the fact that she couldn't bring herself to go back on her word or return my feelings for her. I would never want to lose you over such insignificant reasons."

He paused to sigh before looking into her eyes. "I'm so sorry, May," he said. "Can you forgive me?"

May gaped at him stupidly for a moment, not believing what she was hearing. She was expecting him to yell at her or make her feel so bad that she would just want to crawl into a hole and die.

But not an apology. He hadn't done anything wrong. What was he apologizing about it?

"You're asking me to forgive you?" she asked him once the lump in her throat disappeared.

He suddenly appeared more worried than he was before. "You can't do it?"

"No!" May exclaimed, a little louder than intended.

Brendan looked heartbroken. His mouth fell open for a split second before he managed to reel it back in. He pushed away from the railing and took two steps away from her.

"I understand—I mean, I did leave you without a word," he stammered. "I don't deserve your forgiveness. I messed up, I kn—"

"No, no, no! That's not what I meant!" May cut in, grabbing onto his wrist to keep him from moving away any further. "I forgive you! I completely forgive you!" Her voice lowered a few decibels. "I...I was just worried that you weren't going to forgive me. You didn't do anything that needed forgiveness and I would've completely understood if you didn't want to be my friend anymore.

"But I didn't want to lose you, so I was scared stiff that you never wanted to see me again. I was actually going to ask for your forgiveness, but then you...apologized to _me_ and I was just...stunned." She blinked as she realized how stupid she sounded.

So, she took a deep breath and met Brendan's eyes with a remorse-filled gaze. "I'm really sorry for putting you through so much pain, Brendan. I nearly ruined our friendship and I'm so sorry."

Brendan gave her a smile, his eyes full of sympathy and understanding. Then, he opened his arms, inviting her in for a hug.

She didn't wait to run into them, immediately throwing her arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry, too. Let's never let anything get in between our friendship again, okay?" he mumbled, pressing his chin to the top of her head as he held her close.

"Definitely," she agreed. "You're signing yourself up for a lifetime commitment."

Brendan chuckled. "I'm never going to be able to shake you off, huh?"

"Uh huh. Just like the big head and the little head of a weezing—we're stuck together," she giggled, hugging herself even closer to him.

Brendan chuckled once more and did the same.

After taking a couple of minutes to patch up their friendship, and informing each other of all the significant new details of one another's life, they made their way back to Drew.

To May's utter relief, Brendan was completely fine when she confirmed the fact that she and Drew had gotten together. In fact, he even appeared happy for the two of them, insisting that he was glad that things ended up the way that they did. She found someone who made her happy, and they wound up being friends again, even closer friends than they were before.

May couldn't be more thrilled to have her best friend back. She loved him to death, she really did.

In a platonic way, of course.

"Sorry for taking May away for so long, Drew. Here she is," Brendan said as he approached Drew. "We just had some things we needed to clear up."

Drew eyed his girlfriend's best friend warily before directing his gaze at May.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, more her than Brendan.

"Everything's great," May answered, beaming happily at him.

He let out a breath of relief. "Good."

"Not quite yet."

Drew's and May's heads snapped to Brendan with the speed that defied the laws of gravity. He watched their reactions through half-lidded eyes, but he couldn't keep the merriment out of them. They were even too startled to notice.

"Relax, I just wanted to tell Drew that if he ever hurt you," he said, and then gestured at May, "I'd track him down and hurt him times two." He blinked as he realized how threatening his words were. "Well, now that I said that, I guess it'll be difficult for you guys to relax. Sorry, guys."

Drew blinked at him before turning to May and carefully taking her hand.

"I'm never hurting you," he breathed, a smile slowly spreading from his face. "That was the fourth death threat I received in the past hour."

All three of them laughed.

* * *

><p>"You two are such beautiful babies," May cooed to Brock and Solidad's twin boys.<p>

She held Caleb in her arms, while Drew cradled Joshua in his, sitting close enough to her to allow the two babies to touch one another.

Drew watched her as she did so, his eyes twinkling with affection for her. It was sweet to see how maternal she was. The way she handled Caleb (and Joshua prior) was just great.

And then, suddenly, Caleb morphed into a baby with green hair much like his own and blue eyes identical with hers. He couldn't help but imagine her holding their son.

He quickly shook the thought from his head, though. He was much too young to be thinking about children.

"Your sons are so cute, Solidad," May said to the mother of the two boys.

"Thanks, May," Solidad breathed with a smile. "They're cute now, while they're tired out and quiet, but once they start crying, it's a whole different story." She paused and checked the watch on her wrist. "As a matter of fact, I should probably be heading back up to my hotel room with these two right now. They haven't been getting much sleep today."

"Do you need some help taking them back up?" Drew inquired.

Solidad shook her head with a kind smile. "It's just a short trip up in an elevator from here. Just stay here with May and enjoy Ash and Misty's reception."

Drew nodded and handed Joshua to his mom, while May went to place Caleb into his stroller.

After making sure that her back was turned and she was out of earshot, Solidad leaned into Drew's ear to whisper, "She's good for you, sweetheart. Take care of her."

"I will," Drew stated firmly. Then, he wrapped his arms around her to pull her in for a hug. "Nice seeing you again, Solidad. I've missed talking to you."

"As I have missed talking to you. Be sure to pay me a visit in Pewter before you two leave the Kanto region," Solidad instructed him, while rubbing his back with the palm of her hand. Then, she placed a kiss on his cheek. "Take care, sweetie."

Drew waved goodbye to her before she went to hug May goodbye and to push her babies' stroller out of the wedding reception.

He headed over to May's side afterward, while she grabbed her cup of punch and took a sip from it. They smiled at one another once they met each other's eyes.

Just then, all of the wedding guests at the reception began to laugh when Ash wheeled in a brand new bike as a wedding present for Misty, who began to laugh at the sight of the bike, and her psyduck, who was perched on the seat with a glass of punch in its hand.

"Oh, so you wait until _now_ to replace my bike?" she asked her new husband. "And what's Psyduck doing on the seat?"

"Yeah," Ash replied with a goofy grin on his cheek. "Sorry it had to take so long—I guess it was my subconscious mind telling me to wait so that I wouldn't have to come up with a wedding gift to give you." He turned to look at the seat, blinking in shock as if he were just noticing Psyduck's presence. It grinned cheekily at him while giving him a wave, and he shrugged. "I don't even know when or how Psyduck got up there. Bonus, I guess?"

Misty playfully rolled her eyes, while the wedding guests laughed again.

May shook her head as she laughed.

"That's adorable," she said, but Drew wasn't sure if she was referring to the gift or Psyduck.

After a moment of just lingering at one of the tables, conversing with anyone who approached them, the two of them sat down to watch the bouquet toss. All of the unwed, female guests huddled together in a mass right in the middle of the dance floor. Their hands were already reaching into the air as Misty walked to the front of the mass, putting just enough distance between them and herself for a fair toss.

"Aren't you going to join them?" Drew asked May after watching her take a seat beside him.

May shrugged.

"I don't feel like getting up again," she insisted, but then she frowned as she spotted a head of blue weaving through the mass.

A second later, Dawn emerged and hurried toward her.

"Never mind, I have no choice now," she grumbled.

Drew followed her gaze, his eyes landing on Dawn's approaching form, and he let out a laugh. Before they knew it, the blunette had seized May by the wrist and hoisted her up out of her seat, dragging her away and into the female crowd.

One short countdown later, Misty tossed her bouquet over her head and into the air for the eager girls to catch.

"Come on, May! At least attempt to catch it!" Dawn urged as she grabbed for the bouquet, which was bouncing to and fro from one pair of hands to the next.

"What's the point? I'm not going to catch it," May insisted, her arms crossed over her chest.

"You're such a party pooper!" Dawn accused.

"Am not!" May insisted.

"Yes, you are! Don't even try to deny it!"

"I don't need to deny it because I'm not one!"

"You _so_ are! If you don't at least attempt to catch it, I'm never letting you live this down."

"Fine! If I attempt to catch it, will you leave me alone?"

Dawn flashed her a wide, toothy grin. "Yes."

May gave her a mocking smirk and raised her arms for a split second, grabbed at the air once, and then let them fall back down.

"There," she said triumphantly. "I attempted to catch it."

"That was not an attempt! That was you squeezing the air's ass!" her friend complained. "Do it again!"

"You rapist," May laughed. "Besides, what's the point? Someone already caught it."

When Dawn asked her who it was, she pointed to a purple-haired girl, who she recognized to be Iris, Ash's last female traveling partner.

Before the blunette could scold her, May quickly grabbed the blunette's wrist and dragged her out of the mass, laughing her head off the entire way, while everyone else cheered for Iris.

"You cheat," Dawn accused, pouting.

"I told you I didn't want to. And I'm not the one who told her friend to squeeze the air's a—"

"May! Watch out!" someone cried.

Dawn and May snapped their hands around just in time to see Iris falling into one of the female guests, who caught her just in time, after tripping over Misty's psyduck, who fell to the ground.

May barely had time to gasp when suddenly, a blur of orange and white entered her line of vision, heading straight for her. Her hands reflexively flew up to intercept the object before it smashed into her face. Next thing she knew, she was holding the bouquet in her hand.

Iris busted out laughing at the sight of the dumbfounded May.

"Well, I totally didn't mean to chuck that at your face," she joked as she bent down to help Psyduck get back up on its webbed feet. She gave a cute little pout afterward. "I just lost the bouquet."

Everyone began to join in with her laughter, while May turned to playfully glare at Dawn.

The blunette was doubled over in hysterics, gripping her stomach even when May smacked her arm with her hand.

But it didn't take long for the brunette to join in with the laughter as well, a blush blooming across her cheeks. She hurried back over to Drew, who had moved to sit with her family, to get herself out of being the center of attention.

"That certainly was an interesting way to catch a bouquet," Drew chortled once May sat herself down in between him and her brother.

May rolled her eyes at him and whacked him on the arm as well before turning around to whack Max, who gaped at her.

"What'd I do?" he cried out.

"Don't pretend like you weren't going to make fun of me," May told him with a smug smile. "That was me putting my Future Sight to use."

"I always knew you were a natu. You look just like one," Max grumbled.

"Just like I always knew you were a slaking," she retorted. "The resemblance you share with Dad's slaking is astounding."

"Slaking's boss, though."

"And Natu isn't?" May challenged. "I could peck your nose so hard, you'll end up looking like a probopass for the rest of your life."

Max wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Please don't bring your lips anywhere near me."

May waggled her eyebrows at him, while handing the bouquet over to Drew. She counted to three in her head before she lunged at Max, who cried out in terror, seizing his face in her hands and sending her head flying forward. Just when her lips were about to make contact with his nose, she lifted her head so that her chin came in contact with his nose instead, applying just enough pressure to make him yelp.

Drew pretended to play with the petals of the bouquet to keep himself from laughing. Meanwhile, Norman nearly choked on his drink as a laugh came up his throat just as the punch was working its way down.

Caroline, on the other hand, looked less amused.

"May Maple, that's enough," she reprimanded, her tone stern. "We're at a wedding reception. Your poor brother would probably prefer to get through the reception without a broken nose."

"Oh, Mom, I didn't peck him _that_ hard," May insisted as she wrapped her arms around Max's neck, hugging him to her. "Isn't that right, Maxie?"

"Please tell her to get off, Mom," Max groaned, trying desperately to push his sister off him. His nose was already beginning to redden.

"Max and May are getting along just as well as the last time I saw the two of them together, aren't they?" a voice asked with a chuckle.

All five heads of the occupants of the table turned to see an old Professor Oak approaching them, his grandson and disciple following right behind him.

"Professor Oak!" Norman greeted. "Please have a seat and join us!"

Professor Oak nodded while coughing into his fist as Gary pulled two seats out for him and Leaf next to Norman. Then, he took the liberty of sitting himself down in the seat directly across from May, smiling at her when he met her eyes.

Drew shifted his feet uncomfortably underneath the table, not having missed the exchange.

"We didn't really get a chance to talk earlier at the ceremony, Professor Oak," Caroline said. "Are you doing well?"

"As well as an old man at my age can do," the professor responded with a hearty chuckle. "How are you all doing?"

"We're all doing just fine, thank you," Norman responded, smiling politely at the elder man.

"Ah, that's good to hear," Professor Oak said and turned to smile at Max. "Max, look at how handsome you've gotten. The last time I saw you, you were only thirteen! You're growing up to look just like your father!" He turned to May. "And May! You're getting more and more beautiful as you get older! I believe the last time I saw you in person was last summer when you came to visit my lab."

"That would be correct," May told him with a grin.

And after that response, she didn't have to reply to anything because Professor Oak was instantly engrossed into conversation by her father. She found herself having the same thing done to her by Gary.

Some time passed with everyone at the table just talking to one another. However, Professor Oak and Max and May's parents seemed to be more interested in holding a conversation with one another than talking with the children, so they simply disregarded them.

Drew, Gary, and Max found themselves in a conversation with one another, though it was rather difficult for the first two at first. Drew simply didn't know how to communicate with the last keeper of his girlfriend's heart. It was awkward talking to him, to say the least, and Gary himself found it awkward speaking to Drew as well. He wasn't particularly fond of the grasshead, especially since he was dating May, so he tried to avoid conversation with him as much as possible. To do so, he mostly tried to enter the animated conversation between May and Leaf. The brunettes had instantly hit it off, so it was far more easier talking them instead.

Not too long afterward, it was time of the garter toss. Misty sat herself down on a chair that was placed at the center of the dance floor for her, while most of the guests watched from their seats at their tables. Most of the unwed male guests were standing around the dance floor, forming a circle to ready themselves to catch the garter. Guys like Gary, Paul, Drew, and Max, stayed seated, though.

"None of you are even going to try and catch the garter?" May asked with an amused smile.

"Well, I don't plan on getting married anytime soon, so I think I'll just stay here," Gary replied before anyone else could, returning her smile with a bright twinkle in his eyes.

May simply shook her head, the same smile still fixed on her face, while Drew watched, trying to hide his dismay.

Wolf calls and whistles filled the room when Ash knelt down on one knee before Misty, lifting the skirt of her wedding dress slightly to duck underneath it. She blushed slightly as she felt him brush his lips against her leg as he traveled to the white garter wrapped around her thigh.

Once he reached it, he grabbed the edge of the lace material with his teeth, and gently tugged it down her thigh, over her knee, and then down the rest of her leg. He reappeared from underneath her skirt after pulling it over her heel-clad foot, looking slightly flushed and smug as he shook his head to make his hair fall back into place.

And then, he gave his head one, hard shake to throw the garter. It flew out of his mouth, soaring through the air to the right side of the dance floor. The white object continued its journey through the air, over the extended hands of the bachelors, and continued going until...

...it found refuge on Gary's face. Right over his eyes, blinding him with white lace.

May gasped to hide her laugh, while Professor Oak chuckled at his grandson's expense.

Leaf giggled into the palm of her hand, while Max broke into a fit of laughter, despite Caroline's attempt to keep him from doing so. But even she had to admit it was funny when Gary slowly pried the garter off of his face, pinching it in between his thumb and index finger, eying it with disdain.

Brock's guffaw instantly filled the room and was soon joined by the laughter of the rest of the wedding attendees, who were all laughing at the young professor's expense.

"Real nice aiming there, Ashy-boy," Gary deadpanned as he held the garter away from his face, playfully glaring at his childhood rival, who had gotten up off his knee to take his wife into his arms as the first slow song began to play.

"I'm sorry, man. I honestly didn't mean to do that," he said truthfully, laughing as Misty turned her face away to hide her own chuckles. "I thought I had better aim than that, but I guess not."

"How hard could it be to fling it to someone standing just a couple feet away from you? There were at least seven guys standing in the direct path that you threw the garter in!"

"Oh, give the guy a break, Gary," May urged, wiping away a tear as she hiccuped from all the laughing that she had done. "You have to admit, that was really funny."

"Almost as funny as the way _you_ caught the _bouquet_?" Gary challenged, a playful smile on his face.

"I think your garter catch may have beaten my bouquet catch. At least the bouquet didn't hit my face!"

"It was well on its way to! You're just lucky you have good catching reflexes!"

"Which makes your garter catch even funnier!" May chortled. "_Your_ catching reflexes are worse than _mine_! Weren't you the star catcher on your high school baseball team?"

Gary laughed along with the brunette girl sitting across from him.

"I didn't receive a warning like you did!" he insisted. "Geez, May, if the superstitions about the catcher of the garter and of the bouquet are true then I definitely don't want to end up with you as a wife someday. You're so judgmental!"

Drew tried his hardest not to frown as Gary and May continued to laugh as they bantered. If he were an outsider looking in, he would assume that they were flirting, and he didn't like it. Thinking of the best excuse that he could to get the attention of his girlfriend back on him, he cleared his throat and gave her hand a light tug underneath the table.

Both Gary and May stopped their conversation when May turned her head to look at Drew. Something flashed in Gary's eyes as he did the same thing, but no one caught it in time to be able to decipher it. He watched as the grasshead nodded in the direction of the dance floor, telling May to dance with him no doubt. Sure enough, the smile on the girl's face widened and she nodded.

Gary felt an uncomfortable tug at his heart when she dismissed herself from her conversation with him, and then led her boyfriend to the dance floor. He eventually wound up asking Leaf to dance, taking her to the dance floor and positioning them so that he could get a good glance at Drew and May whenever he wanted.

_Ears closed  
>What I hear no one else has to know<br>Cause' I know  
>That what we have is worth first place in gold<br>And I'm soaked in your love  
>And love is right in my path, in my grasp<br>And me and you belong, oh..._

"Are you having fun so far?" Drew asked May, while discreetly stealing a glance at Gary from over her shoulder.

"Absolutely! I'm having a great time," she exclaimed. "How about you?"

"As long as you're having a great time, then I am, too," he said simply, giving her a smile.

"How incredibly sweet, yet cheesy of you," May joked, a wide grin on her face.

"Only for you."

"How generous. How could I ever repay you?"

Drew chuckled at her teasing tone before lowering his own into something softer.

"Just like this," he murmured, and then he leaned forward to press his lips to hers.

Once he pulled away, he stole one more quick glance at Gary Oak before bringing his eyes back to his girlfriend. It had only been a split second, but it was long enough for him to catch the brunet staring at the two of them.

He didn't exactly know how to place the look that he saw in the young professor's black eyes, though.

_I wanna run (run)_  
><em>Smash into you<em>  
><em>I wanna run (run)<em>  
><em>And smash into you<em>

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Uh oh, do I sense some Gary and Drew rivalry going on? ;)

Anyways, I don't know what's wrong with me lately. I've been updating late for the past two or three weeks! And to think that I actually had most of this chapter written before saturday, too. Maybe it's the fact that I feel like complete crap from this stupid pain in my throat. I feel like I swallowed a ping pong ball. Make me feel better by sending me reviews? They're highly appreciated. Thanks for reading. :)

P.S. Do you get why Drew laughed at Dawn's innuendo? It's dirty, I know, but I couldn't resist. xD

**FYI:** There really is a superstition for the catcher of the garter and the catcher of the bouquet. It is said that they're going to marry one another one day. At least, that's what I read. Let that puzzle you for a while. :)

_Smash Into You  
><em>by _Beyoncé_


	29. Confessions

**Update June 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p><em><strong>Responses to Reviews...<br>Pokemaster13:**__ You were shoveling _snow?_ And at one in the morning? Holy crap! And I thought that getting rain where I am now was bad! The weather's so bipolar where I am. One day, it's super warm. The next, it's really cold. I tcan't make up it's mind. :\  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Lol, sorry. I thought about making Drew catch it, but what are the odds of a couple catching both the bouquet _and_ garter? Besides, I thought it would be fun to make_Gary_ catch the garter. With the superstition involved with the garter and bouquet, I thought it'd be a fun way to get some Brunetteshipping in before the climax. ;D  
><em>_**SpikEarPichu'sTrainer:**__ Lol, I left you a review. :)  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Questshipping's Marina and Jimmy! I just like the idea of them, so I put them as my third favorite since I couldn't think of another shipping that I liked. xD I'll be sure to check that out sometime soon! And yes, Drew's jealous. Let's get some May jealousy in here, too, eh?  
><em>_**BittersweetSienna:**__ I just like the idea of them as a couple, but since I like Contestshipping better and this _is _a Contestshipping fic, I made them best friends instead. :p  
><em>_**xDragonairx:**__ I loved Misty! Especially the Misty Lure and her mallet! Funniest times ever! And yup! Including this chapter, there are twelve chapters left! Being ill really is a pain. I _still_have a sore throat. :\  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Why thank you! That's very kind of you to say! :D And thanks for the wish for my throat. Unfortunately, it still hurts. :\ Don't worry about Gary and May. This _is_ a Contestshipping fic, after all. :D  
><em>_**Citra-sama:**__ Hahaha, what is it with everyone and Leaf and Gary? :p  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ Hehe, I love protective friends! Not overprotective, though, of course. :) And yes, Drew is a sweetheart! And Gary is, too! Gary supporters are not going to like what I have in store for him. :( I'm glad you're starting to love Brunetteshipping because I certainly do!  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Lol, you'll see what I'm going to do soon. ;D  
><em>_**chocolatehell: **__Lol, yeah. I'm saving the bloodshed for _Absol. _;D Sorry that you didn't get to go to prom! I absolutely love dark chocolate. It apparently helps with sugar cravings, too, so that's a win-win. I agree! Everyone reaches their boiling point once in a while, even the civil ones. You'll see what happens, though. Drew may or may not be the one to lose it. :)  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Lol, I'm sorry, but I really can't bring myself to include many Leaf cameos! Maybe it's because she was never in the anime, so I have a hard time characterizing her! She's going to have an important role near the end, though!  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ Hahaha, I was laughing while I was writing it! My dog was giving me weird looks, too!  
><em>_**101berrycake:**__ It's spelled 'bouquet'. I didn't really want to make her catch it because she isn't a major character in this story. And plus, she was never in the anime so I have trouble characterizing her. She's going to play a big role near the end, though, I promise. :)_  
><em><strong>LoveLoverGrl:<strong>__ Mehhhhhh! :P_  
><em><strong>LAPKat: <strong>__Brunetteshipping ftw! Lol, just kidding, then where would Contestshipping be? xD Don't convert! Just put one foot on each ship and be a two-timer shipper! Lol, just don't two-time in real life. That's very bad! xD And maybe she is! I just did it for the sake of some conflict in this story. :p  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ What is with everyone in Leaf? You guys all seem to like her more than May. To be honest, I've never really given her much thought because she was never in the anime. :p  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ I actually never saw any of the Sinnoh episodes! I only saw a few scenes from random episodes. Haha, well, I still didn't see the need to put them in. I have enough minor characters as it is. :P Sorry, but the wedding is over! I didn't see the point in extending it past two chapters. Thanks for the lullaby! I used to sing that all the time when I was a little kid! Unfortunately, Solidad's cameos are over for now, hah.  
><em>_**leontinees:**__ Sorry to hear! :\ And yes! He has matured! He's not the arrogant grasshead that he made himself out to be in the beginning! Well, maybe he still is, but it's only a little bit. xP  
><em>_**Blademon:**__ Where did you get the idea that they like him more than Drew? Lol, maybe they don't. ;D  
><em>_**shanafan. sapphire21:**__ I actually understand those two Japanese words without the use of Google Translator! Success! :D  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ HAHAHAHHA! I got him to shake his head? Successss. :D I'm feeling a lot better, thanks! If only the pain in my throat would go away... And haha, I was going to say, I swear I respond to every single review! xD_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 29<strong>

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><p>Snow sprinkled down onto the streets of Vermillion City as the coldness that hung in the air bit at people's exposed skin. May giggled as she polished the gold center of her newly acquired contest ribbon, the cold air making a ghost of her breath. It was the most recent addition to her collection after winning it two days ago, bringing her ribbon count up to four.<p>

Lillipup and Vulpix were the ones to thank for the victory, and she couldn't be more proud of them. Her boots left a pattern of footprints in the light layer of snow as she practically skipped down the sidewalk of a large shopping center in the city.

"Well, aren't you happy?" Drew grumbled as he walked alongside her, the shopping bags in his hand that he had to carry for her crunching against his leg.

"Of course I am! I finally beat you in a contest battle!" May laughed. "You've rubbed your victories against me in my face more than enough times—it's my turn now."

"What are you talking about? I don't rub my victories in your face!"

"What am _I_ talking about?" May scoffed as she closed her ribbon case and put it back in her bag. "What are _you_ talking about? You _always_ rub them in my face! Don't you think that I should be given a turn to do it to you?"

Drew snorted and grabbed her gloved hand with his free hand.

"You're lucky that I find you adorable," he remarked, a soft smirk played on his lips. "I'll just let you enjoy the _one_ time that you actually managed to beat me. We don't know when the next time will be."

May harrumphed, but slid the arm of her free hand through his just the same.

"I already beat you once—I could easily do it again, you know," she told him.

"So confident," he teased. "You do know that I was just holding back, right? The next time we battle against one another, it won't be so easy."

"Sure, sure. You're just saying that because you're a sore loser."

"That's always better than being a stuck-up winner, _Maple_," he retorted, putting extra emphasis on her surname just to get a rise out of her.

"It takes one to know one, _Hayden_," she shot back, grinning at him before she stuck out her tongue.

Drew laughed at the childish gesture. Then, he pulled her in to nuzzle the side of her head with his nose before changing the subject.

"Did you get all of your Christmas shopping done yet?" he asked her. "We're headed back home tomorrow morning."

"Almost done. I just need to find Marina's gift. What do you think I should get her?" she replied as her eyes scanned the row of shops in the shopping center. "I feel like she'll only want clothes or jewelry."

Drew shrugged. "I don't know. Why don't you get her a charm for that charm bracelet that you guys always wear?"

"Our PokéBalls are supposed to be the charms—there won't be any room left if we put a charm on them."

"Oh. Well, then I'm at a loss. Marina and I weren't exactly extremely close friends—I wouldn't know what she would like."

May hummed thoughtfully as the area in between her eyebrows creased in thought. Swinging her and Drew's interlocked hands between her, she continued to scan the shops. Once something in the window of a boutique caught her eye, she tugged on Drew's hand.

"I think she'd like that," she said, while pointing at the jacket that a mannequin donned. "Let's go in."

"Sure. Let's hurry, though—I think some stores are going to close in about an hour."

May nodded and led Drew to the boutique. As soon as she pushed open the glass the door, a rush of warm air hit their faces, followed by a whiff of citrusy musk fragrance.

A young female store employee immediately came up to them. The name tag pinned above her left breast read "Miley" in black font.

"Good evening!" she greeted cheerfully, despite the late hour. "Can I help you two with anything?"

"Yeah. Do you guys have that jacket that the mannequin's wearing?" May asked her, while pointing her thumb in the direction of the mannequin.

Miley lifted her head to get a better look at said jacket. Once she did, she turned back to May with a smile and nodded.

"I think we still have a few more in stock. They're over here," she informed, and then gestured for May and Drew to follow her.

May smiled at Miley and pulled Drew along as she followed the burgundy-haired girl. She led them to the women's section of the store, passing tables with stacks of neatly folded shirts and racks of fancy sweaters.

Some pieces caught May's eye, but she refrained from wandering over to them in fear that she would be tempted to buy them. She had already spent more than enough money after doing all of her Christmas shopping. If she spent anymore, her wallet would undoubtedly suffer long-term damage from the chunk taken out of it.

"Ah, here we go," Miley said as she came up to the rack of fleece-lined jackets. "Here's the jacket that you wanted. We also have it in brown and black if you don't like the burnished red color. Is there anything else I could help you two with?"

"We're good for now, thank you," May told her.

After exchanging a polite smile with May, Miley nodded and took her leave to assist another customer in the shop.

May let go of Drew's hand to take a better look at the jackets, taking the leather material of a brown one into her hand.

Drew hung back as she did so, his eyes aimlessly wandering around the shop to keep himself occupied. He shifted the shopping bags in his right hand to his left to give his right hand a break.

"You're free to wander around if you want to," May said, as if sensing his boredom. She turned her head around to smile at him. "You don't have to stand there and wait."

Drew smiled and took a step forward to press a kiss to her cheek.

"Alright. Come get me when you're ready," he instructed, and then went off to wander around.

May turned her attention back to the rack of leather jackets after watching Drew head off to the men's section. She pushed through the few jackets hanging on the rack, picking out one of each color in Marina's size. Holding the three jackets in her hand, she headed over to the nearest mirror, which she found standing beside a display table.

After shedding her own coat and placing it on the table, she tried each one on to see which one suited her best. Marina usually looked good in anything that she wore, so May decided that she would try on the jackets before giving one to her friend. Whichever one looked best on her would be the one that she would ultimately buy.

After determining that the brown jacket looked best on her, May brought the other two jackets back over to the rack and put them back. She let the one that she chose hang on her forearm as she headed over to the men's section to find Drew. She eventually found him standing by a rack of men's jackets and snuck up to him from behind. However, he didn't even flinch when she wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Find anything you like?" she asked, while allowing him to slip his arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, I like these jackets, but they don't have my size," he murmured. After placing the jacket that he held in his hand back on the rack, he led her away from the rack. "Did you find Marina's jacket?"

"Yep, it's right here. How about I go pay for it real quick and meet you at the door?"

Drew nodded and allowed May to slip out from under his arm. He found his way to the door through the store and decided on a spot by a display table to wait.

Shoppers walked by the store front outside, leaving behind their footprints in the snow. Some glanced into the shop to take a look at the displays before looking away. Others took a bit longer to look away when they noticed him standing by the door. They murmured to their friends as they passed, recognizing him as Andrew Hayden, the famous coordinator. A few girls even squealed as they took in his good looks and suppressed the urge to barge into the door to ask for his autograph.

He tried not to pay them any mind as he waited for May by looking away.

A gust of cold air rushed in as the door of the boutique opened and was forced back out after the door closed. A girl clad in a dark green coat strode in, her cheeks rosy from the cold weather and burgundy hair spotted with flakes of snow. She gave Drew a curious look, and he eyed her back just as curiously, wondering why she seemed so familiar.

After registering who he was, a brilliant smile broke across her face and her dark brown eyes began to twinkle with excitement.

"Drew! I thought it was you when I saw you in the window!" she exclaimed happily.

"Sammi?" Drew asked, his tone confused as if he weren't entirely sure if it were her. "Is that you?"

"Oh, come on! We haven't seen each other in six months and you already can't recognize me? I'm not that easy to forget, am I?"

Drew laughed and flicked his bangs away from his eyes after recognizing the girl from school. "No, it just took a bit longer to recognize you underneath that thick scarf."

"I just _love_ that little hair flick that you do," the girl giggled, her voice nearly a purr. Then, she pulled the scarf off her head and made a show of shaking out her hair. "I know—it's so thick. I wish I didn't have to wear it, but with this weather, I'd get hypothermia if I didn't."

"Well, then you should probably put it back on then. It is pretty cold out there."

"Oh, but I don't mind. It's the perfect cuddle weather," Sammi insisted, her voice still a purr. "So, what have you been up to, Drew? I hear you've been traveling around the Kanto region."

"Yeah, I have. Just been traveling around and participating in contests."

"Really? How fun. Are you traveling with anyone?"

"Yeah, my girlfriend, May," Drew replied with a proud smile.

As Sammi's face noticeably fell at his words, May came up to Drew's side and took his hand.

"I'm ready to go," she told him, completely ignorant of Sammi's presence.

"Hi, May!" Sammi exclaimed, her face and voice oozing pseudo enthusiasm to mask the fact that she was more than displeased to find that May _Maple_ was the May that Drew was dating. "It's so good to see you again!"

"Sammi?" May inquired, her eyebrows furrowing as she tried to determine if the girl standing before her was really who she thought it was. Upon recognition, she gave a shaky laugh. "Hi...I didn't expect to see you in the Kanto region."

"Yes, well, my family and I came to stay with my sister and her husband at their house in the city. I was just coming in here to take her home."

May shifted uncomfortably after noticing the obvious disdain in Sammi's eyes after she eyed her and Drew's intertwined hands. The grasshead didn't seem to notice, though, even when she brought the hateful gaze back up to May's face.

"Well, we should be getting going now. We have a ferry to catch tomorrow morning," May said hurriedly, and began to drag Drew to the door. "Nice seeing you again! Happy holidays!"

"Bye," Sammi said in a clipped tone before converting it back into a purr. "Bye, Drew."

"Bye, Sammi. Happy holidays!" the guy said, and followed May out of the door, completely oblivious to the final glare that Sammi shot at May.

* * *

><p>"Well, that's the last of them. I packed every single present into my suitcase, so we won't have to worry about them tomorrow morning," May said after closing the lid of her suitcase.<p>

Standing up on the plush bed, she took the handle of the suitcase and slid it off so that it rested on the ground. Then, she leapt off the mattress as well and began to walk to the bathroom.

"I'm just going to go brush my teeth and be right back, 'kay?" she told Drew.

"May," he called before she could get any closer to the bathroom. "What's wrong? You've been acting weird all night."

The brunette turned to him, an innocent smile on her face as if she had no clue what he was talking about.

"What are you talking about?" she asked him. "I haven't been acting weird."

"Yes, you have. You've been acting weird ever since we ran into Sammi," her boyfriend accused, hitting the mark. "Why is that?"

May sighed and walked back to the bed, seeing no more point in denying the fact if he already knew it. She plopped herself back down beside her, tucking one foot beneath her, while letting her other leg hang off the side.

"I just didn't like how she was flirting with you, that's all," she admitted. "I wasn't comfortable with it."

Drew blinked in surprise as the idea dawned on him. It took until May pointed it out for him to realize that Sammi had, in fact, been flirting with him. He took her hand and squeezed it.

"You don't have to worry about that—I didn't flirt back. I only have eyes for you," he assured her, backing up his words with a comforting rub across the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Then, why was she looking at me like that? She looked at me like I stole something from her."

"Ah...did she really?" he asked, surprised at himself for not having noticed the hostile glare that Sammi had given May.

He refrained from saying anymore, deeming it unnecessary if May didn't push the issue any further. But she did.

"Is there something that I don't know about you two?" she inquired.

"We went out a few times at the beginning of the school year," Drew admitted, deciding to be honest with her. "But it was nothing big. We never dated."

May looked uneasy. She never knew that Drew had gone out with Sammi before. It bugged her, even with the fact that they never dated. She knew that she had a lot of competition if she had a boyfriend like Drew, but she didn't like to face that fact when she didn't have to. The encounter with Sammi forced her to do so, and she told Drew just that when he asked her if she was okay.

"You have nothing to worry about, May. I've only had eyes for you since the first time I saw you, and you know that. I just went out with Sammi because I wanted someone to take my mind off of you because I thought that you would never give me the time of day," he admitted. "We kissed once, and that was it. Once I realized that no girl could take my mind off you, I called the whole thing off before we could go any further."

"Why'd you think that?" May asked, confused.

"Well, you weren't exactly that fond of me at the beginning, and I guess I have myself to blame for that," Drew responded with a lighthearted chuckle as he glanced down. He met her eyes again after the moment that he took to gather up the courage to say what he was going to say next. "I thought that you would never give me the time of day because Max told me that you were in love with Gary."

May's mouth opened, but no words came out as she took in his words. She could only get a few words to form once she found her voice again.

"He told you that?" she peeped.

Drew only nodded, choosing to remain silent to see what she had to say next.

"I...was...at that time," she struggled to say after a while. "I liked him for a while. A long time, actually, up until the week that we began traveling together. That's when my feelings for him began to waver. That was the first time that I began to question my feelings for him."

"Why?"

May eyed him incredulously, as if she were asking him if he really had to ask, but she answered his question just the same.

"Because you came into the picture," she confessed. "You made me confused, and I didn't know how I felt about either of you. That's why it took so long for me to admit my feelings for you. Because I wanted to be sure of how I felt about one of you."

Drew felt his mouth grow dry as he listened to her words. "Do you still feel anything for him now?"

"No! Absolutely not! I don't feel anything anymore!" she exclaimed, rushing to get the words out. "Have you been thinking that this entire time?"

"To be honest, yes," he admitted, and then lifted a hand to silence her before she could say anything. "Hear me out first," he told her, and she quieted. "It's only natural that I worry about that. I've never done this before, so it scares me. I'm not saying this to gloat or anything, but I've honestly never had to worry about whether or not a girl liked me or not. I've had past girlfriends, but all of them pursued _me_, and it was _me_ who broke up with _them_ whenever I felt as if our relationship wasn't going anywhere.

"I never had to worry about whether or not my girlfriend still had feelings for someone else. I never had a girlfriend who was in love with someone else around the same time that she began to date me. I was always sure about how my girlfriends felt about me, but with you, it's different. Everything's different with you."

"Why are you waiting until now to tell me all of this?" May asked, eying him with so much compassion that her eyes smoldered. Then, she leaned in to wrap her arms around his neck as she nestled into his lap. His arms automatically went around her. "Aw Drew, I didn't know that you were still worrying about my feelings for Gary! If I'd known, I would've told you a long time ago that I don't feel anything for him anymore. It's only you now."

Drew's shoulders lifted and fell as he chuckled. Relief flooded him through him after hearing her words.

"Glad to hear," he said. He planted a kiss on her forehead, feeling the affection he had for her fluttering in his stomach. "It's good to have the reassurance."

May smiled and pulled away from him in order to cup his face in her hands.

"From now on, if you ever feel even the slightest bit uneasy about anything in our relationship, I want you to tell me, okay? Don't keep it to yourself. I need to know these things," she told him, and then leaned in to plant a kiss on his lips.

Once she pulled away, she dropped her hands to her side.

"You're so silly," she giggled after returning the smile that he was giving her, and then lifted her hands again to poke his sides.

Drew tensed up under her touch and shifted so that she was out of his lap.

May eyed him with confusion and leaned forward to poke him again to see if she would get the same reaction, but he caught her wrists.

"Don't," he said warningly before dropping her wrists.

May's lips twitched upward as she realized what his reaction meant.

"Why not? You're not ticklish are you?" she asked him. Her fingers quickly flew to give him a quick tickle before he could stop her just so she could test her theory.

Sure enough, he jumped slightly before backing away from her some more.

But what they both didn't expect was for him to fall off the edge of the bed.

Laughter erupted from May's mouth before she could stop herself. She peered over the side of the bed as she clutched her stomach, tears oozing out of her eyes.

"You're _ticklish_!" she cried. "Oh my Arceus, I can't believe you're _ticklish_!"

Drew glared at her from where he sat on the floor. "Don't laugh at me! You're ticklish, too!"

"Yeah, but you're _Andrew Hayden_! This is _too good_!" she exclaimed in between laughs, and then leapt off the bed. She suppressed her laughter for a moment after seeing him pout.

"Aw, are you okay?" she cooed as she leaned toward him. "I'm sorry. Let me kiss you to make up for it."

Drew snorted and rolled his eyes, but lifted his head just the same to allow her to kiss him.

However, she didn't. She simply turned her head before their lips came in contact and tickled his ribs one more time, causing him to fall to the ground. Her laughter followed her as she bolted away.

"I got you _so good_!" she called without looking back. "Excuse me while I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth—I need something to distract me before I pee my pants!"

May continued to laugh as she jogged to the desk in their room at the Pokémon Center. After grabbing her toothbrush and towel, she skipped over to the bathroom.

Drew glared at her the entire time and followed her movements with his eyes, while he pushed himself off the floor. He crept up to her just before she got the bathroom door open.

May let out a small _oof_ as Drew suddenly grabbed her hips and gently shoved her against the wall beside the bathroom door.

"You're paying for that one, you little minx," he murmured into her ear as he slid his arms around her waist. Then, he dipped her back and slid a leg behind her knees, hoisting her up against his chest and carrying her to the bed.

"Drew, no! Don't!" she begged as he threw her on the bed and climbed over her. "Please, don't!"

"Too late now! You should've thought of this before you decided to tease me!" Drew told her, smirking as his fingers successfully made contact with her stomach, despite how she tried to block it with her arms.

He danced them all over her body as if he were typing words on a keyboard. He tickled her to the edge of oblivion while she gasped and shrieked for him to stop.

But he never did, and she continued to writhe underneath him. He kept tickling her, even when he grew out of breath from all of the laughter. May felt like she would die if he didn't stop soon.

"Stop!" she shrieked in between her laughs. "Andrew, stop!"

Drew paused momentarily as his full name escaped May's lips.

"What'd you just call me?"

"Andrew," May answered, after taking in a shaky breath.

He hummed thoughtfully. "You should call me that more often."

May's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she lifted her head to get a better look at him. "Why? I thought you told me that you wanted to be called Drew."

"That was before you became my girlfriend. I like the way it rolls off your tongue now."

"But it's a mouthful."

"You didn't have a problem with saying it just then."

"It slipped," she insisted. "But I guess I could call you that from now on if you want. What are you going to call me then?"

Drew thought for a moment. Then, he grinned. "How about Maybear?"

May glared at him. "How do you want to die?"

"Okay, okay, not Maybear," he chuckled, and then brought himself down so that he was supporting his weight with his elbows. He pecked her lips. "How about 'baby'? It'll work until I can think of something better."

"You know, I actually really like that," May said, humming thoughtfully as she took in the name. She always thought it was cute if a guy referred to his girlfriend by such a name. "Stick with it."

"Really?"

May nodded as she wrapped her arms around him. "Yep, I like it. Call me that from now on and I'll forever refer to you as 'Andrew'," she said with a smile.

Drew laughed.

"Alright," he agreed, and then leaned down to press his lips to hers again. He kissed her for a moment before he finally got the courage to bring his lips away to say what he had been wanting to say for a while.

"I love you," he declared.

May paused for a moment to look into his eyes as if to test his sincerity. She waited for the urge to bolt to enter her body, but all she felt was a pleasant fluttering in her belly. She felt incredibly fuzzy and warm after hearing him declare his love for him.

It was then that she realized that she felt the same way, and that she had just been waiting for him to say those three words to her. She had been wanting to say them to him, too.

Drew held his breath the entire time until she finally opened her mouth again.

"I love you, too," she said with a smile, and then brought his lips back down to hers.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> D'aww! xD I had so much fun writing this chapter! I was itching to write the part where they tell each other that they loved one another. How sweet! And I totally skipped from summer to winter, I know. :P

Do you guys remember Sammi? Congrats to those who did! She made the tiniest of tiny cameos all the way back in chapter two! I don't like her, do you guys? Luckily, she's not turning up again. I just thought I'd bring her back as a way to lead into the conversation that Drew and May have needed to have for the longest time.


	30. Hot Chocolate

**Update June 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>I have a couple of things that I'd like to address before I let you guys read, so I'm just going to try to keep this short and sweet. Here we go:<p>

I've noticed that some of you weren't very fond of the new pet names that Drew and May have for one another now. I just wanted to clarify that they were simply kidding around; they won't always refer to one another as "Andrew" or "baby" respectively. It'll only be on occasion! The reason why Drew likes it when May calls him "Andrew" is because "Drew" is the name that everyone refers to him as. "Andrew" is a name that no one typically uses for him aside from family. So, by allowing May to be the only one to call him that is another level of intimacy for them in a sense.

As for the daily roses—some of you seem to think that Drew has either forgotten about the roses, or I have forgotten about them. The answer to both is "no", neither of us have forgotten about them. I just found it unnecessary and excessive to write out every time that he gives her a rose. Just thought I'd clarify everything for you all. :)

Drew's sister, Alta Hayden, will be making a cameo in this chapter! I just wanted to let you all know that she does _not_ belong to me, and I repeat, does_ not_. She belongs to my amazing friend, Samia, or **chocolatehell** here on Fanfic. Now that I've mentioned her, go check out her stories if you haven't already! Great author she is, and her stories are pretty awesome, too. And leave her a review or two while you're there, too. For me? :)

This chapter will be the most sensual chapter that I have for this story up to date. There isn't going to be any sex, but I just thought I'd warn you. I'm using my T rating to its full extent, as one of my lovely readers, **leontinees**, advised me to do. :P

Now, I'd just like to take a brief moment to show my appreciation to all of you for helping me reach 600 reviews! Thank you very much, and with that, I'll let you all go ahead and read without boring you with a long author's note. Happy reading, please keep those reviews coming! Much love to you all! :D

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>The Mysterious E:<strong>__ Uh huh! :)  
><em>_**SpikEarPichu'sTrainer:**__ Lol, I love jolteon! It was always one of my favorite eeveelutions! :D  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ Haha, actually it didn't! I had every chapter planned out long before your last review and that's why I found it so funny when you told me that it was snowing two reviews ago! Coincidental, eh? ;D  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Lol, no one remembered Sammi! _I_ even forgot about her, and I'm the one who created her! I'm not Filipino, lol. I'll have to google that. ;D Trust and honesty definitely are two very important things in a healthy relationship!  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Hahah, I had a good chuckle myself while writing that part. :) Thanks!  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ I don't like her either. She was actually inspired by a girl named Sammi in my school, who I really don't like. Thanks for pointing that error out lol! I missed it when I was going back and editing! And my throat's completely fine now! Thanks. :D  
><em>**_BittersweetSienna:_**_ Christmas will actually start in the next chapter. The entire thing will be dedicated to the other couples. Mistletoe will be included as well._ :)  
><em><strong>Monochrome13:<strong>__ Girls like Sammi make me want to barf all over their pretty faces. :)  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ I don't know what you mean by between them, but it's going to put some strain on their relationship. Or maybe a lot, lol. Sammi and my real life inspiration for her _both_annoy me to death! Hahah, why would Drew get drunk? ;D  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Haha, right? Especially since she's never coming back again, I guess we can all forgive her. ;D  
><em>_**leontinees: **__I debated on whether or not I should've described the contest, but I felt as if it really wasn't that important. I would've if it was an extremely significant contest, but it wasn't, so I decided against it. I figured May mentioning was enough for you guys to imagine it on your own. You guys still need to use your imagination, right?  
>As for the petnames, I've already explained in the author's note above. I hope you've read it already. If not, please go read it! And their "teen behavior" as you put it. That's just me making their relationship more light-hearted and fun. They're simply messing around, nothing serious. And I just haven't written many intimate scenes so far! There's one in this chapter. Lol, just because I haven't written them yet, doesn't mean that I don't plan to! Believe me, I have fun writing them (not trying to sound like a perv or anything, though xD), so they'll definitely be appearing! ;D<br>__**KurunaGirl:**__ You just be patient, something with Gary is coming! And well, now that we all know, shall we tickle him to death? ;D Don't be ashamed about forgetting Sammi, either. I forgot her and I'm the freakin' creator of her. -_- I remembered that she didn't go to prom with Drew, though! That was Skyler!  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ You know, she was actually inspired from a girl that I hate, too. How funny that I create a character who reminds us both of the girl that we hate. :P  
><em>_**xDragonairx:**__ They probably wouldn't have left out Misty, even if they included her! I would've liked to see a cameo or two, if not a major role. :\  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ Thank you so much! I'm glad you thought it was realistic! I was worried that it would seem too forced or something. :\ Hahah, even though I'm a Brunetteshipper, too, I'm totally with you on that "Contestshipper for life" thing. xD  
><em>_**Chi-Chiwawa:**__ Lol, don't kill us! We love you! xD Haha, I loved that "Drary" thing you created! How cool! Congratulations on your new family restaurant!  
><em>_**Rokunami123:**__ Haha, really? It's actually a really common petname for couples. My ex-boyfriend used to call me that all the time. Nicer alternative to "babe", don't you think? ;D  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ I'll see if I can find those episodes and watch them! And don't worry about the pokémon; I'll try to get some cute cameos in the final ten chapters. :)  
><em>_**LalaLand:**__ Haha, actually, my grammar's correct there. It may sound wrong, but it's technically right. :P  
><em>_**shanasakura-scarlet21:**__ Haha, I suspected that it was you! Believe me, there are a lot more ticklish guys out there than you may think! I know a few. ;D  
><em>_**I. C. 2014:**__ Lol, miracles happen. xD  
><em>_**Shadow Lillies:**__ Haha, I do, too. :)  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ Haha, you're so weet. :D  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ You don't have to; she's not important. xD  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ It's okay! Late is better than nothing! :)  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ He won't all the time!  
><em>_**KittyRin:**__ You've been keeping up with my story since the first chapter. If that makes you an awful reader, than I don't know what a good reader is. Thanks so much for the review! :)_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 30<strong>

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><p>May released the final strand of her hair from the hot grip of the curling iron. Then, she gathered all of the curls up into a ponytail, merging them together so that they created one single curl going down her back. After she was done with that, she pushed away from her vanity and headed over to the wall-length mirror beside her closet doors. She gave her outfit one last once-over to make sure that it looked just right, which it did.<p>

The chunky cream cardigan that she wore over a plain white V neck tee rendered a coat unnecessary, while the sash that she tied around her waist kept her body shape. To go with the sweater and tee, she opted for dark wash skinny jeans, which she had tucked into tall brown leather boots. Once she was satisfied with her look, she clipped her charm bracelet onto her wrist and left her room.

"Dad, I'm going to head over now," she informed her father, who was sitting on the couch watching television by the time she reached the living room.

Max sat on the loveseat beside the couch, but he was too busy dozing off to tease her.

"Alright, honey," Norman replied as he pried his eyes away from the screen to take a look at his daughter over the back of the couch. "Behave yourself," he added warningly.

May playfully shook her head at him as she took her red scarf out of the coat closet.

"I will," she assured him as she looped it around her neck twice. "See you later, Daddy."

The winter cold sent a bitter chill running down May's spine the second she opened the front door of her house. Wrapping her arms around herself, she hurried down her driveway and over to Drew's house right next door.

A ninetales was laying on the front porch, curled up into a ball as it slept with its head nestled into its nine tails. May's eyebrows furrowed as she didn't recognize the pokémon, but she marveled over the sheer beauty of it. Its glossy coat gleamed, even though the lighting that the winter day provided was sparse. It cracked open one pretty, red eye as she walked up to the door. She hoped that her vulpix would look like that after it evolved.

The dark oak door of the Lilycove Hayden house swung open just moments after May rung the door. A handsome middle-aged man with green hair and dark brown eyes opened the door for her.

"Good afternoon, May," he greeted with a warm smile.

"Hello, Derrick," she greeted back politely, returning the smile on her boyfriend's father's face.

When they first met last week after she and Drew returned to Lilycove, May immediately thought that Drew was the exact epitome of his father. Save for his green eyes, which he had inherited from his mother, he got everything else from his father. Hair color, nose shape, lips, face structure—everything. Drew was practically his father's twin.

"Come on in. Drew's in the shower, but he should be out soon," Derrick informed, stepping aside to allow May entrance into his house.

May nodded as she stepped into the warm house. The smell of jasmine and amber immediately wafted up her nose, a familiar smell that she had grown so accustomed to after returning to Lilycove for Christmas. It was Elizabeth Hayden's signature home fragrance, and May loved the smell of it.

In fact, she loved a lot of things about the Hayden home. Being a family that came from the technologically advanced city of LaRousse, their house design was quite contemporary and sleek. The design of every room looked like it had literally been taken right out of a modern house magazine.

But with Elizabeth Hayden as the woman of the house, there were bound to be some colonial touches to the design. The use of dark oak furniture and subtle color shades for the walls were those touches, along with the occasional antique vase. May loved it every single detail.

"May! How lovely to see you, dear," Elizabeth exclaimed after descending the stairs, followed by Drew, whose green hair was still damp from his shower.

After putting in her diamond stud earrings, she opened her arms to embrace May, giving her a brief hug before pulling away.

"Derrick and I were just about to head out to grab some lunch. Would you like to join us?" she asked.

May smiled politely and shook her head to decline the offer just as Drew came up to her side.

"No thank you, Elizabeth. You and Derrick should enjoy lunch alone as a couple," she insisted.

The beautiful woman laughed, exposing her brilliant white teeth as she headed over to her husband's side.

"Nearly the exact words of my children," she noted as she wrapped an arm around his waist. Then, she said, "Well, I suppose you children have the house to yourselves. Make yourself at home, May. We should be back around late afternoon."

Watching as the two of them stood together, May marveled at how good of a match they were. The Haydens were an interesting couple. Derrick did not smile often, but when he did, they were always closed-mouth smiles, whereas Elizabeth smiled all the time, and everytime that she did, she always exposed her teeth. Elizabeth often tried to engage May into conversation and talked to her about everything that a mother would talk about with her son's girlfriend, while Derrick only exchanged a couple words with her here and there. They were almost exact opposites, and yet they complemented one another so well. They were both wonderful people and great parents, and May could honestly say that she liked them a lot. They treated her as if she were their own daughter.

"I will. Thanks, Elizabeth," she said.

"I'll make sure she does, Mom. You two have fun and enjoy your time," Drew added.

"Alright. You kids behave yourselves," Derrick instructed before grabbing his coat and putting it on. Smiling slightly, he added, "See you all later."

Drew headed to the door to see his parents off after they put on their winter coats. Once they got into their car and started to pull out of the driveway, he allowed Ninetales to walk back into the house before he closed the door and walked back over to May with a light smirk. He immediately wrapped his arms around her waist the second he got to her.

"Hello, sweetheart," he accosted playfully.

May smiled at the pet name. He had gotten into the habit of addressing her by pet names ever since they professed their love for one another. 'Sweetheart' was amongst the most popular.

"Hi there," she replied.

"How has your day been going?"

"Quite well, thank you. And yours?"

"Exceptionally well."

"Oh, how so?" May inquired, exposing her bright teeth as her smile widened.

"Because I got to see your lovely face right after a really nice shower. Wouldn't you agree that that was an exceptionally well start to my day?" he responded, mirroring her smile and then leaned into to capture her lips with his.

May giggled against his lips as he tightened his grip around her waist with one arm and dipped her back slightly as they kissed. He massaged her lips gently with his, while his other hand reached up to cup her face. He stroked her cheek with his thumb as he probed his tongue into her mouth, beckoning her tongue to move. May responded without hesitation.

"Gee, Drew," a voice suddenly piped from the kitchen, causing both Drew and May to jump apart. "Mom and Dad just left and you're already devouring her face? Your room's just upstairs, you know."

"Alta!" Drew exclaimed in his shock as May blushed and pushed away from him. "Where'd you come from? I thought you were still sleeping!"

"I have a witty answer and a legit answer for that. Which one do you want to hear?" Alta replied smartly.

Drew narrowed his eyes at her.

The girl chuckled and waved a hand dismissively.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," she insisted, a playful twinkle in her green eyes. "I was just coming to the kitchen to get a snack when I saw you eating her face off, so I thought I'd stick around for the show."

May flushed even brighter than she had already been, while Drew smirked at the strawberry blonde.

"I always knew you were a voyeur," he said.

"I wouldn't be the Alta that we all know and love if I wasn't, big brother."

Drew let out a laugh and gestured at the girl standing in the kitchen doorway.

"May, meet my baby sister, Alta," he told the brunette.

"I'm hardly your _baby_ sister," Alta retorted with an eye roll as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm only two years younger than you are."

"I'm turning twenty in two months—you'll still be seventeen," Drew pointed out. "That's not two years."

"That's because you were born at the end of winter and I was born at the beginning. I'll be turning eighteen the same year, bro," she responded lazily. Then, she uncrossed her arms and bound across the room over to May, startling the brunette.

"Hi," she piped merrily. "Nice to finally meet you!"

"Yeah, now that you're finally home after a week's disappearance," Drew interrupted before May could return the greeting.

"Dude," his little sister deadpanned, leaning forward to peer at her brother over May. "Shut up. I was up in the mountains with my friends. That's why I didn't get you a souvenir, you annoying grasshead."

May laughed at the girl's words.

"I like you already," she told Alta.

"Really?" Alta grinned as she slid her arm through May's. "That's great because I like you already, too! I got that from you, y'know."

"Me?" May laughed. "How'd you get it from me?"

"Drew used to talk about you all the time, and he told me that you called him an annoying grasshead every time that you saw him."

Drew gaped at her in horror, whereas May gaped at him playfully.

"You did not just tell her that," he gasped.

"He talked about me all that time?" May asked eagerly, her interest completely peaked. "What did he say?"

Drew shook his head at Alta, silently telling her no, while she smirked at him, opening her mouth tauntingly.

The resemblance between the two siblings was absolutely striking, save for the immaculate strawberry blonde hair on her head and the messy green hair on his. Their faces were practically the same, except that Alta had a more rounded face shape (inherited from their mother), but they both had the same witty humor.

There was also a sense of arrogance to her as well, though it was more inconspicuous than her brother. Nevertheless, they were definitely siblings.

"I'll let Drew tell you that on his own," Alta eventually said, putting her brother out of his misery. "Now, I have some shopping to do." She held out her hand in Drew's direction. "Hand over the money, bro."

Drew stared at her incredulously. "You have your own money."

"Yes, but it's so much more fun to spend yours."

Drew snorted. "As if I'd let you spend my money. You can march your butt into your room and get your own wallet."

"You're my brother. It's your duty to provide me with money for all of my shopping needs," his little sister insisted.

"I beg to differ."

"Fine then," Alta shrugged and tightened her grip around May's arm. "I'll just tell May here everything that you said about her. _Every little_ _thing_." She grinned wickedly as she added, "And I'll be sure to make them all sound as embarrassing as possible."

"My wallet's on the end table next to my bed," Drew deadpanned as he pulled May into his side, glaring at his little sister.

Alta gave a mirthful little laugh as she let go of May's arm to hop over to her brother's free side. She gave him a nudge as she threw an arm around his neck.

"You know, I'm doing you a favor. With me gone, you get the house all to yourself and May," she pointed out. "Aren't I the best little sister in the world?"

Drew smirked and ducked to get out from beneath his sister's arm. She laughed and skipped away just as he spun her around and pushed her away.

"Get out of here, you freakin' blonde," he commanded.

"How's Alta blonde when both you and your parents have green hair?" May asked, smiling in amusement at the exchange between the two siblings.

"I'm the oddball in the house," Alta told her as she began to head up the stairs. "I got my hair color from my grandmom, which gives me the wonderful privilege of calling my dear brother an 'annoying grasshead' whenever I please."

"Just shut up and hurry up, Goldilocks," Drew told her.

Alta smirked, looking exactly like Drew as she did so, and saluted him before she jogged up the steps.

In the short amount of time that she took to get her stuff, May took her scarf and boots off, draping the former over the back of the cream leather sectional sofa and placing the latter in the shoe closet by the door. By the time Alta came back downstairs, Drew had already wrapped his arms around his girlfriend again.

"Did you let Ninetales back in?" Alta asked Drew as she put her hand around the door handle.

"Yeah, she's probably in the study room or something," Drew replied without prying his eyes away from May. "Bye, Alta!"

"Always the hasty one," she said with an eye roll an pulled open the door. "Bye, May!"

"Bye, Alta!" May called with a laugh.

"Finally, she's gone," Drew breathed in false relief. Then, using his thumb and index finger, grabbed her by the chin and tilted her head towards him. "Now, where were we before she rudely interrupted..."

May pulled away just before his lips made contact.

"Uh, uh, uh," she said with a smile. "Tell me what you said about me first."

Drew groaned and pulled away from her, but took her wrist in his hand.

"Let's go get some hot chocolate," he suggested to change the subject. "I'm cold."

"You're just changing the subject."

Drew ignored her accusation and continued to lead her into the kitchen.

May scowled at him when he lifted her up and plopped her down on the counter beside the silver fridge, but he pretended to not notice. Then, he went about his business and made hot chocolate for the two of them.

"Hey, Drew?" May suddenly chimed.

"Yes?"

"You remember that we're going to be hanging out with my friends tomorrow for Christmas Eve, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be over to get you tomorrow morning," he assured her as he poured the warm beverage into two separate mugs. "Want whipped cream?"

"I'll get it," she told him, and jumped down from the counter to open the fridge.

Searching through the contents, she eventually found a bottle of whipped cream, resting right beside a bowl of fresh looking rawst berries. A sudden memory popped into her head at the sight. She smiled deviously to herself.

"Can I have a snack?" she asked.

"Sure. Have whatever you'd like," Drew said, coming up to the counter next to her to place the two mugs down. Then, he walked away to place the materials back.

May took that time to grab the whipped cream and bowl of rawst berries out of the fridge, and placed them on the counter. Then, she leapt back on the counter as Drew had his back turned. She took a sip out of one of the mugs before she took a rawst berry.

She brought it to her mouth and bit down as enticingly as she could just as Drew turned back around. His eyes widened slightly and he gulped.

"Experiencing déjà vu?" she asked him seductively, her expression sultry and alluring.

"Arceus, May," he breathed as he walked back up to her.

"What?" she asked innocently as she grabbed the bottle of whipped cream and squeezed some onto the top of their drinks. She instantly scooped some out of the cup with the berry and brought it back up to her lips.

"_Stop_."

"Stop what?"

She closed her mouth around the berry and the tips of her fingers.

Drew instantly moved the beverages a good distance a way from them. May yelped when he pulled her hand away from her from mouth and attacked her lips to his.

His hands slid up her thighs, reaching for her bottom, which he grasped with his hands to pull her closer to him. Her legs immediately threw themselves around him, hooking her ankles together behind his back. Their tongues danced with one another, while she cupped the sides of his face with her hands. It wasn't until they both ran out of breath that they pulled away from one another.

"Well, wasn't that fun?" May mused as she popped another berry into her mouth.

Drew hummed in agreement as she reached over for her mug of hot chocolate and took a sip. Unbeknownst to her, she left a bit of whipped cream above her lip. He smirked at this.

"I could make it even more fun if we go again, though," he offered.

"Really? And how will you make it 'even more fun'?" May challenged.

"Like this."

He leaned in ran his tongue along her lip before taking it into his mouth and suckled. May sucked in a startled gasp at the sheer pleasure that he created just by doing so, but he teasingly pulled away. When he did, he looked smug.

"You're such a tease," May accused him as he waggled her eyebrows at her.

Playfully rolling her eyes at him, she reached behind herself for a rawst berry and scooped up some whipped cream from her mug. She brought it up to her mouth with one hand and pushed him away with the other, unhooking her ankles from behind him.

Drew eyed her incredulously as she casually ate the rawst berry, focusing entirely on the berry.

"Are you really pulling the same trick again?" he asked as he took a step back toward her.

May shook her head while she grabbed another berry.

"No," she responded, rotating the berry in her hand as if she were deciding which angle she wanted to eat it at. She held out her other hand as Drew leaned in toward her, pressing her fingertips to his chest to keep him from coming any closer.

He frowned at her. "Well, then can I have some berries before you eat them all?"

May seemed to ignore the gibe.

"Sure," she said, and then placed one into his mouth.

When he complained about not getting any whipped cream, she took a chunk of whipped cream from his mug of hot chocolate with two fingers and smeared it over his lips. She laughed, while he blinked at her in shock.

"I don't suppose you want to lick this off for me, do you?" he deadpanned.

A wicked thought crossed her mind as she shook her head at him. She took one of her fingers into her mouth to clean off the whipped cream and then pulled it out tantalizingly slow. The action didn't go by unnoticed by Drew.

"Lick it off yourself," she told him.

"You're no fun," the grasshead pouted, and did as he was told.

When the last bit of whipped cream was licked from his lips, he parted his lips. May instantly obliged to his silent request and fed him another berry, which she remembered to lather with whipped cream.

But when he asked for another one, she didn't feed it to him right away. A grin grew on her face as she teased him with the third berry, holding it just out of reach of his mouth. He eventually managed to get a bite, but she finished off the rest before he could get it.

She made the teasing with the fourth one even more tantalizing by not allowing him even a single bite of the berry. Instead, she placed it in her own mouth, making sure to smear some whipped cream onto her lips. Chewing some of it slowly, she suppressed a giggle at his expression.

"Alright then, I'll just take it from you," he declared, and then leaned forward, but May pushed him away while she leaned back, still chewing on the berry.

He scowled at her. "Why won't you let me kiss you?"

Her response was simple.

"Because you're not the only one who knows how to tease, Mr. Hayden," she murmured, her tone low and seductive.

"Don't be such a grudge-holder."

"Mmm, maybe you'll think twice next time before you decide to tease me then."

"Fine. I'm sorry," he stated, though he didn't sound the least bit apologetic. "_Now_, will you let me kiss you?"

May shook her head. "Nope. You still haven't told me what I wanted to hear yet."

"What did you want to hear?"

"What you told Alta about me."

Drew groaned.

"I told her a lot of things. I can't remember them all," he insisted.

May reached for her hot chocolate and took a casual sip.

"Then tell me what you remember," she suggested as she smacked her lips.

Drew ached to kiss them, so he made another attempt to do so, but May was quick to put a hand over his mouth. Once he removed it and took another shot, she turned her head. He didn't complain when he wound up making contact with her jawbone, though. Her pulse sped up when he moved to stroke her neck with his mouth.

"Come on, Maple. Let me kiss you," he whispered, his breath fanning her skin and making it pebble. His hands began to slide up her thighs again.

"No," she said, suppressing a moan as he trailed his lips up to her ear.

He pulled her into him, this time taking her completely off the counter. Her legs nearly went out from beneath her when her sock-clad feet touched the kitchen floor.

"Please?" he breathed.

"No..."

He bit down softly on her earlobe.

A moan escaped May's lips before she could help it. Her legs felt as if they were turning into jelly and the anticipation building up in her belly was becoming unbearable. And just like that, she lost her will to resist.

"Alright," she gasped. "Kiss me."

Drew immediately brushed his lips down to hers.

She sighed into his mouth once their lips locked, giving his tongue entrance to her mouth. He kissed her until she felt her head spinning.

Her breath was cutting short, but she was far from caring. There was nothing on her mind but the way that Drew's lips were moving against hers. Forget wanting to know what the things that he had said to Alta about her. She would be perfectly content with staying ignorant about them for the rest of her life if he continued to kiss her senseless like that.

She didn't know when or how it happened, but somehow, she and Drew were no longer in the kitchen. Instead, she found her back against the sofa with Drew's weight settling on top of her. Their legs intertwined, while he pulled his lips away from her to kiss down her neck, his fingers undoing the sash around her waist.

She arched her back to help him remove her sweater, which had proven to be quite meddlesome in their heated make out session. Once it was discarded, his mouth went to straight to work on her collarbone, right above the V-neck of her tee. When he felt that he had accomplished his task, he hungrily brought his lips back to hers in a bruising kiss. One of her legs raised on its own accord and her back arched slightly, pushing her up against him.

One of his hands slid around her to grasp her right below her breast, while the other went down to cup behind the knee of her raised leg. She moaned throatily at this and laced the fingers of one hand into his hair. The other hand traced its way down his toned chest to the hem of his navy henley, brushing the sliver of exposed skin with her fingertips.

Drew shivered in response and moaned as well, finding himself struggling to keep control. He felt as if he was kissing liquid sunshine whenever he was kissing her.

Once the need for air became to great, he pulled back to look at her flushed cheeks and swollen lips. Her face was being framed by her hair, which had been let out of its ponytail some time as they made out. It was splayed out behind her head on the couch, and he thought he had never seen her look more gorgeous. He gave into the urge to kiss her again.

"For the record," he began to mutter huskily against her lips. "I told Alta that you were," he moved his lips to the right, "the most," he pecked the corner of her mouth, "beautiful girl that I," he pecked her chin, "have ever laid eyes on." He pecked her jawbone twice, "And that I was completely," he began to leave a trail of kisses down her neck, "and utterly," he planted a kiss right on her collarbone, "infatuated with you," he brought his lips back up to hers, "from the first moment I met you."

He pulled away to gaze into her dilated sapphire eyes.

"Happy, now?" he asked.

May was at a complete loss for words as she stared back into his smoldering emerald eyes. "Very" was the only word she managed to get out.

Drew simply smiled at her and then captured her lips again.

Their hot chocolates were ice cold by the time they pulled apart for good.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I told you it would be sensual. As to how sensual it is exactly, that's up to you. I hope you enjoyed. :) Christmas Eve is next chapter, and Christmas Day is the chapter after that! Thank you for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	31. Traditions

**Update July 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>Hehe, I see you guys liked the last chapter. xD Well, before I let you guys read this time, I just wanted to get something out of the way. Some of you have brought to my attention that I've missed your reviews while I go back to respond to them. To be clear, I don't miss them! In fact, I double check every time to make sure that I get every single review! There could only be three reasons as to why there isn't a response for your review:<p>

1) You never reviewed even though you thought you did.

2) Fanfiction didn't display the review as I was going through my reviews to respond to the ones for the previous chapter.

3) You didn't catch your response in my responses.

If none of those reasons work, then I don't know what to tell you. I just wanted to let you all know that I didn't purposely miss your reviews. :P Now, you may read! Enjoy! :D

**Reason for the tardy update:** No good excuse really. I was at a birthday party, and I ended up coming home a lot later than I thought I would. Sorry, guys. -_-

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>LuvPeaceCandy: <strong>__Aw, but she's such a cute character!  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ Haha, is it really? I did think I was going overboard. xD Phew! I thought I portrayed her badly or wrong! And ahhh, you never know! The war may or may not end. :)  
><em>_**theasianwonder:**__ Haha, thanks! ;D  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Manipulative little sisters ftw, eh? :)  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ Hahaha, they were, weren't they?  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Believe me, I could have been a lot more sensual than that, but seeing how this story is rated T, I refrained. xD Hot chocolates are sooo yummy! I love them!  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ HAHAH! Run to the bedroom and do "stuffs". You know, I was going to have them have that make out session in Drew's room, but then I was like, "Naaah." The déjà vu thing happened in the "A Ribbon and Purple Dress" chapter. It was before they started dating and May was eating a chocolate-covered rawst berry in a very sensual manner without knowing. ;D And you didn't offend me, silly! How would you have offended me?  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ Lol, I did, but I missed the 's'. ;P And Alta is awesome! You can thank __**chocolatehell**__ for creating her!  
><em>_**Rokunami123:**__ Haha, right? Great, huh? xD I was never really a big fan of 'babe', but Drew likes to use pet names, so you may see 'babe' pop up!  
><em>_**KittyRin:**__ Thank you! :D  
><em>_**DrewlovesMay:**__ I update every Saturday! :D  
><em>_**xDragonairx:**__ Young adults, they are. ;D I feel like they could've replaced Misty with Leaf in the Johto seasons. I mean, Misty's awesome, but it's not really fair that they kept her around for two regions while the other female characters were only around for one. But your idea was good, too; they could've made her travel with Gary and we'd still get the occasional cameo from her. I _hate_ the new seasons of Pokémon. One, because they changed all of the voice actors, which bug the crap out of me. Two, because they added so many new pokémon that I can't keep track of them all (I grew up with only 150, come on!). And three, I just couldn't bring myself to watch any pokémon episodes after May and Drew went out of the picture. Hoenn region was my limit because it was still during my childhood. Pokémon just isn't the same anymore. :\  
><em>_**SpikEarPichu'sTrainer:**__ Haha, aw, I hope I didn't scar you too much. It wasn't that bad, was it? ;D  
><em>_**leontinees:**__ Thanks! :D I'm glad you actually read the author's notes! Some people just skip them and go straight to the story, so I try refrain from writing one at the beginning of each chapter. Of course I hold your opinion in high esteem! I value every single opinion from every single one of my reviewers! They're what help me improve and what keep me going! You didn't rush me, though, however. I have every single event of this story planned out, and everything that happened in the last chapter was all planned. :) Ninetales belonged to Alta! May's vulpix is still a vulpix! And I think May has got enough new pokémon for this story. Lol, I didn't plan any new pokémon for anyone. :p  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ Well, I do like my mature writing! ;D  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ Thanks! Hahahaha, that's funny. You go ahead and eat those raspberries! ;D  
><em>HUNGER GAMES _IS THE BEST TRILOGY I HAVE EVER READ! And the movie was...phenomenal. I literally can't use another word to describe it!  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Ahhh, cuddle weather and mistletoe, two of the best things about Christmas! ;)  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ Yay! :)  
><em>_**shanasakura-scarlet21:**__ Because I recognized the 'shana' in your username. ;P And no lemons for this story. It is rated T, after all, so heated make out sessions will have to do! I would give anything to live next to Drew, too. ;)  
><em>_**BittersweetSienna:**__ Yup, the gang's back! :D  
><em>_**DreamlessDirt:**__ Thank you so much! :D  
><em>_**Chi-Chiwawa:**__ Haha, thanks. ;) And maybe it's because you're so used to _him _doing the teasing? And it's fine! The username's not really important, anyways! And you weren't the last person, haha! Siri calls my teacher "your majesty". Lol, I really don't know why. ;D Good to hear about how great your business is going! I hope it stays that way! :) And sure! What would you like me to say? I'll send it to you via PM!  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ D  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Lol! Poor Alta, she would've been scarred for life if that were the case! Rather her than their parents, though! ;D I love __**chocolatehell**__'s fics! The slight bit of darkness is them is what makes them so addicting! And I swear I answered your review, though! I addressed the issue in the author's note above!  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Credit goes to Samia for creating her!  
><em>_**rats xp:**__ They're mine, too! :D  
><em>_**Rainbowoverthecity:**__ Thank you! :)  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Ahh, you still reviewed! Better late than never! Hahaha, I love what you said! I do that all the time when I read certain chapters! :)  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ Better late than never! Thanks! :)  
><em>_**Blitz:**__ Thank you so much! I'll check out that fic whenever I can!  
><em>_**I. C. 2014:**__ He was just saying it because he wanted to make May blush again. We all throw out random corny jokes every once in a while just for the heck of it. It doesn't necessarily make him OC; it was just a quirk of the personality that I gave him._

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 31<strong>

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><p>May was jostled out of her deep sleep when additional weight was suddenly put on her bed. Her eyelids fluttered open only to have a mass of her own brunette waves obscuring her vision. A second later, a gentle hand pulled them away from her face and someone leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek as their arms wound around her waist.<p>

She smiled softly and peered at the person from the corner of her eye. She would know those lips anywhere.

"Merry Christmas Eve, baby," Drew murmured into her ear before he kissed it.

May shifted in his arms so that she was lying on her back and gazed up at her boyfriend groggily. One of his hands moved to her stomach as she tried to force her eyes open. She smiled up at him when she did.

"Merry Christmas Eve, babe," she murmured. "Who let you up here?"

"Your mom did," he replied as he propped himself up on one elbow. He leaned down to kiss her once on the lips before he went on. "She expects you downstairs soon for breakfast, by the way."

May reached up to cup the side of his face with her hand and brought his lips back down to hers.

"I'll be down after I'm done kissing you and getting some more sleep," she muttered against his lips.

Drew's hands moved to grip the top of her arms to gently push her away.

"As much as I'd love to keep kissing you, I'm sure your mom wouldn't like you being late for breakfast," he insisted, trying not to laugh as he stared at her baffled expression.

A scowl made its way on her face, and he smirked.

"Besides, didn't you want me to go with you to the party with your friends? We'll be late if you don't get a move on," he threatened.

"Can't I just have one more kiss?" May requested, pouting childishly.

"Fine, one peck but that's it," Drew sighed mockingly, and rolled his eyes playfully as though the request were a chore.

Truthfully, he loved kissing her more than anything. It showed when his '"peck" became a feverish kiss in less than three seconds.

"Just a peck, huh?" May teased against his lips.

"Shut up," he snapped affectionately and bit down gently on her lip before he began sucking on it.

May giggled and cupped his neck, signaling that she wanted to return to the kissing. Drew obliged instantly.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting this," a voice piped.

"Mom!" May cried in alarm, jolting into a sitting position as Drew instantly leapt away from her and put some distance between himself and the bed.

"Oh, no, by all means, you two continue what you were doing," Caroline giggled, her hand wrapping around the doorknob in preparation to pull it closed. "Just make sure you come down for breakfast in about twenty-five minutes. You're welcome to join us, Drew."

Drew tried not to flush as he cleared his throat.

"Yes, thank you, Caroline," he choked out.

Caroline simply smiled at him and closed the door behind herself as she took her leave.

May clamped a hand over her heart to slow the pounding against her chest.

Drew turned to her and eyed her with a cocked eyebrow.

"That was awkward now, wasn't it?" he inquired lightheartedly.

"'Awkward' is an understatement," May breathed out in response as she threw her legs over the side of the bed.

The expression she wore on her face was mortified as her feet slipped into her contest ribbon slippers.

"Gosh, that was horrible. Make yourself at home while I go get ready. The last thing I need is for my dad or Max to walk in on us, too," she said, and then headed to her closet to grab her clothes before rushing to the bathroom.

She did her best to shower as quickly as possible given the short amount of time that her mom had given her, even hurrying through the process of styling her hair by just leaving it in waves. Then, she threw on her clothes: a dark green cashmere henley, dark wash skinny jeans, and her favorite pair of cognac boots.

Afterwards, she dropped her pajamas into the laundry basket in the bathroom and strode back into her room, where she found Drew lying down on her bed, watching TV. He instantly leapt down and headed over to hug her from behind as she grabbed a belt that matched the color of boots.

"I love the color green on you," he expressed as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "You should wear it more often."

"You would, with your greeness and all," May teased as she slid the strip of leather through her belt loops. After she got done with the buckle, she reached up to cup the back of his neck and kissed his cheek. "Ready to head down?"

Drew hummed as if in consideration. He stole a quick kiss from her when she turned her head to look at him.

"Now I am," he smiled, and reached down to take her hand to lead her downstairs.

Lillipup greeted them the second they reached the bottom of the stairs. May smiled and bent down to pick up her little pokémon, who had developed the habit of spontaneously popping out of its PokéBall on occasion. She concluded that it must have done so overnight and wandered downstairs to sleep on the couch, its preferred place to sleep.

Her family's Christmas tree stood a few feet behind the couch, standing tall and proud in all of its green glory. It was embellished from top to bottom with fancy ornaments and festive lights. Beneath it rested an assortment of presents on the tree's burgundy skirt, each individually wrapped in holiday wrapping paper. The sight made May yearn to rip open the presents that were addressed to her.

"About time you got down here," Max mumbled from where he sat slouched on the couch, flipping through the channels on the television. "Dad was just about to go get you two, but Mom stopped him in time."

"Blame your sister. She was taking forever to get ready," Drew insisted as he towed May over to the couch.

May rolled her eyes and whacked both her boyfriend and her brother once she sat down between them.

"I'm a _girl_," she said in her own defense. "It takes time for me to get ready."

"_Sure_," Max droned, turning to stare between her and Drew as he pushed up his glasses. "As if that was really _all_ you were doing."

"It was!" she insisted as she flushed, and then sniffed the air when something wafted up her nose. "Did Mom bake cookies?"

"Yup."

"Do you think she would let me get a cookie before breakfast?"

Max shrugged as he flipped through a channel.

"I don't know, but get me one too, if you manage to get yourself one," he instructed, and then turned back to her. "Just remember—if you fail, I'm not your brother. If you get caught, I don't know you."

Drew chortled as May frowned.

"I hate you," she declared, and then slid down on the couch so that she was in the same slouching position as her brother.

Max shrugged again. "I love you too, sis."

"Kids, breakfast is already on the table," Caroline announced as she strolled into view from the kitchen. "Your father and I are going to be leaving now to get to a Christmas party, so we won't be joining you. Whoever leaves the house last, make sure to lock the door, alright?"

"Will do, Mom," Max and May chorused.

"Okay, then we'll see you tomorrow for Christmas. Have fun today!"

"You have fun with Dad too, Mom!" the Maple siblings chorused again.

"You too, Caroline! Merry Christmas Eve!" Drew added.

After Norman and Caroline took their leave, the three young adults headed over to the square dining table. Three plates filled with a small stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and strips of bacon were laid out for them. A mug of hot chocolate was placed beside each plate on one side while the utensils were placed on the other. The condiments rested at the center of the table.

"I call this plate," May declared, sitting herself down in front of the purple plate.

"Was that really necessary?" Max asked her as he sat down across from her.

"Yes."

"And may I ask how?"

"Because I like purple better than yellow or blue?"

"So, you're saying that your purple plate is better than my yellow plate or Drew's blue plate?"

"I didn't say that! I just said that I like purple better!"

"Which is basically saying it's better than our plates," Max asserted with a shake of his head. He mockingly gave the side of his plate a comforting pat as he made a disapproving sound with his tongue. "Don't worry, Plate. _I _like eating off of you."

"Do you enjoy annoying me all the time?" May demanded through gritted teeth, clutching her knife and fork in both hands.

"It's my honor and duty as your little brother to bug the crap out of you," he replied simply.

"I guess that means it's my honor and duty to choke the crap out of you as your older sister then."

"And how will you do that?"

"By shoving your breakfast down your throat," the brunette snarled.

Drew took a sip of his hot chocolate to keep himself from laughing. He was already halfway done with his breakfast, having taken the time that the siblings took to banter to eat so that he could stay out of their battle of wits.

He had to say, Caroline Maple was an excellent cook, almost as excellent as she was a mother. After all, she did give birth to and raise two of the most amusing kids he had ever met. The fact that one of them was his girlfriend was definitely a bonus as well. He wondered how she did it all.

"Why aren't you helping me verbally abuse the crap of this kid?" May suddenly demanded when she turned to find her boyfriend stuffing his mouth with eggs.

Her words made Drew wonder something else: where did she get her short temper from?

Caroline was always very graceful and calm, and Norman was always so relaxed and laidback. It was almost as if nothing could make them mad, whereas the simplest things could make their daughter fume. As much as he loved May, he had to admit that she was quite fiery.

Of course, that was one of the attractive traits about her—and what made her so fun to annoy.

"Because I'd much rather use my mouth for something else, babe," he told her, the corner of his lips tugging up into a smirk.

"_Ooh_, scandalous," Max joked, even going so far as to whistle.

May aimed for her little brother's shin with her foot beneath the table, but missed when he pulled back out of her reach. With a disgruntled huff, she stabbed her utensils into her stack of pancakes and took out a chunk to scarf into her mouth.

"Bullies," she mumbled, and went on to finish the rest of her breakfast.

Drew and Max laughed, and followed her example.

May remained relatively quiet throughout the rest of breakfast. By the time she was done eating, Drew had already finished his breakfast, while Max still had a little bit more to go. She ignored both guys as she went about her business.

First, she put her dishes in the sink. Second, she went to go put on her navy winter coat. Third, she wrapped her cream scarf around her neck and pulled the matching beret onto her head. And fourth, she went outside, leaving Drew and Max alone in the house.

"Uh, Drew, you may want to go after her now. She looked angry," Max advised after his sister closed the front door behind herself.

"Yeah...I'll see you around, Max," Drew said quickly, and then hurried out the front door after his girlfriend.

But once he got outside, he was greeted with a snowball to the face.

"W-what the hell?" he spluttered, just as another one exploded on his shoulder.

The sound of May's mirthful laughter traveled to his ears.

"Gotcha," she exclaimed merrily.

"What was that for?" he demanded as he gaped at her in horror.

"For refusing to help me verbally abuse Max."

"Aw, come on! Why are you such a grudge-holder?"

"Because she's my sister," Max suddenly answered on behalf of May.

Drew turned to find that the guy had opened the front door back up in order to hand him his and May's overnight bags. He blinked in bemusement.

"I thought I'd help my sister out and play a little Christmas Eve prank on you," the dark blunette said with a grin. "It's a tradition between us, you see. We play one on someone every year, and you just happened to be our person of choice this year."

May laughed again and shrugged when Drew turned back to gape at her.

"What can I say? I love my little brother—it's what we do together," she offered, and hurried into the driver's seat of her car. She waved from inside the vehicle at her little brother. "Merry Christmas Eve, Maxie! See you tomorrow!"

Max chuckled and waved back at his sister.

"Bye, May!" he called, and then closed the door before Drew could think about getting him back for the prank.

"You two will be the death of me, I swear," the grasshead muttered after getting into the passenger seat of May's silver car.

The brunette simply giggled and backed out of the driveway.

It took them a good hour or so to reach to their destination, a log cabin up in Route 121. The grand, two-story building belonged to Jimmy's grandfather, and it had become a tradition for May and her friends to stay there for Christmas Eve all the way to Christmas morning every year since their freshman year at Lilycove University High.

May's stomach began to flutter with excitement at the prospect of getting to be with her friends again once she pulled into the driveway. She didn't even bother to wait for Drew after parking her car in one of the garages. She instantly ran out and charged up the stairs that led to the front porch.

By the time Drew got to the front door, she was already bouncing up and down as she waited for someone to open up and let them in.

"Gee, May, couldn't you have been any faster?" he teased, smirking at her affectionately.

"I can't help it!" May laughed. "I can't wait to see everyone again!"

One of the double black stained glass doors pulled open at that moment, inviting the chilly winter air into the warm interior of the log cabin.

Brendan Birch stood in the doorway, bundled up in a cozy assemble that consisted of a hoodie and sweatpants. He smiled widely at the sight of his best friend and barely had enough time to blink before she launched herself at him.

"May!" he exclaimed with a laugh as she practically choked him to death. "Nice to see you, too!"

"Brendan!" May exclaimed back before pulling away. "Is everyone else inside?"

"Yeah, they're all in the living room," Brendan answered, and then turned to Drew to greet him. "Hi, Drew! Glad you could make it!"

"Yeah, nice to see you again, Brendan," Drew greeted back with a friendly smile. "How've you been?"

"Let's discuss that inside where we'll be nice and warm, shall we?" May suggested before Brendan could answer, clearly eager to get inside so that she could see her friends.

Neither Brendan nor Drew had a chance to respond before she had the latter by the hand, dragging him inside while the former was left to chuckle and close the door.

"Hey guys, look! May and Drew are here!" Dawn announced happily at the sight of the coordinating couple, nudging Paul, who was sitting beside her on one of the three couches in the living room.

He simply nodded his greeting for the two, while Marina waved and offered a sweet smile from where she sat on the other end of the couch that they shared.

"May, Drew! Nice to see you guys again!" she greeted.

"Hi, May!" Jimmy cried out, waving frantically from where he sat beside Marina.

In the blink of an eye, he leapt up and began to bound over in Drew and May's direction with his arms extended.

May suppressed a laugh as she waved at Jimmy, knowing what was coming.

"Hi, Jimmy!" she greeted, and then clasped her hands together as she took a wide step away from Drew.

The grasshead glanced at her in confusion. He opened his mouth to ask her why she moved, but was cut off when Jimmy suddenly leapt on him and threw his legs around his waist.

Everyone in the room but Paul busted out laughing as Drew widened his eyes. Out of all the possible greetings from May's friends that had gone through his head, he had never expected the one that Jimmy had given him. The guy was _straddling_ him around the _waist_!

He didn't even know what to do with his arms, which were extended as far away from Jimmy as possible. He shot May a look of desperation, silently begging her to help him with his eyes.

May choked back her laughter as she clutched her stomach. She swore Jimmy was just physically twenty and mentally two most of the time. Marina had warned her that Jimmy had planned a dramatic greeting for Drew, but she hadn't expected him to jump on her boyfriend!

It was all too hilarious; she thought she would die of laughter. She couldn't even bring herself to help out her poor boyfriend until Jimmy finally decided to set himself down on the ground.

"I made a new best friend, guys!" he declared as he threw an arm around Drew's neck. "This one lets me jump on him without calling me mean names!"

Paul ignored the accusing glare that Jimmy shot him by bringing his hot cup of mocha to his lips.

"I don't do affection," he deadpanned before taking a sip.

"You do with Dawn," Jimmy sniffled. "That's not fair."

Dawn snickered and exchanged an amused look with Natalie, who sat on the couch across from hers.

Paul just ignored Jimmy and took another sip of his beverage.

"You're so gay, Jimmy," Cam laughed from where he sat beside his girlfriend.

"I love to love, bro," Jimmy replied simply with a wide grin. He opened his arms as he hurried over to his dark-haired friend. "You want a hug, too?"

Cam leaned in closer to Natalie's side to kick Jimmy away before the guy could get any closer, sending all of their friends into another fit of hysterics. Even Paul cracked a smirk.

"People in this house don't love me, I swear," Jimmy mumbled dejectedly as he plopped himself down beside Marina, who giggled into her palm.

"Nah, man, don't take it that way," Brendan chuckled, and crossed the large living room to sit himself beside Jimmy. He gave his raven-haired friend a comforting pat. "We all love you."

"Aw, you guys see? This is the type of affection that I want and need," Jimmy grinned, and threw his arms around Brendan's neck. "Now, give me a big kiss, Brendy."

"I think I'll let Marina do that, thanks," Brendan insisted as he struggled to shove the guy off of him.

"Oh, but if he wants one from you, Brendan, then by all means, give him one," Marina laughed, pushing herself off of the couch to go sit on the vacant one directly across from the fireplace.

"I'm never opening my mouth again," Brendan mumbled as he grabbed a pillow to ram in between his cheek and Jimmy's lips.

"That's what you get for being so nice," May piped up after her laughter died down. Taking Drew's hand, she led him over to the hallway on the left side of the living room. "We'll be right back, guys. We have to go get our bags to our rooms."

"_Ooh_, sneaking away so soon?" Jimmy teased, even though his voice was sort of muffled by the pillow. He pulled back to grin mischievously at the two and to make himself clearer. "Don't forget that the girls' rooms are in the west wing and guys' rooms are in the east wing, May."

"Someone chuck a pillow at him for me, please?" May requested, staring at Jimmy through half-lidded eyes.

"Will do," Paul smirked, and immediately threw the pillow that was closest to him at Jimmy, bonking the guy right on the head.

Everyone laughed, while Jimmy grabbed the pillow that Paul threw at him and the pillow that Brendan rammed into his face and shoved them beneath himself so that he was sitting on them.

Natalie shook her head as she slid off the couch to crouch in front of the large wooden coffee table at the middle of the couches. A big white sheet of paper rested on the top, along with two black markers and a pack of multicolored highlighters. She reached for a marker and began to draw nine parallel vertical lines at the center of the paper.

"All joking aside guys. Let's get this out of the way first, shall we?" she suggested as she drew random horizontal lines between the vertical lines.

Marina slid down from the couch and crawled over to the sit beside the petite girl.

"Good idea," she agreed, and grabbed the other black marker. "We need to pick our baker for this year."

"Oh! You guys haven't picked the baker yet?" May asked, obviously excited as she hurried over to sit beside Marina.

Drew followed and sat behind her on one of the couches, watching curiously as Marina began to write one of their names above each of the nine lines. Once she was done with that, she moved down to write "safe" at the end of the lines save for the bottom of the fourth line, where she wrote the word "baker." The whole group had gathered around the table by the time she and Natalie were done with the chart.

"Done. Now, everyone grab a highlighter," Natalie said as she grabbed a yellow one for herself before she passed the pack around.

"Here," May said, handing the pack to Drew after the pack got to her.

Drew reached in and took out the final highlighter.

"What do I do with it?" he asked no one in particular.

"Just start from your name and follow the path of the lines all the way down. If you land on 'baker' then you have to bake cookies for us this year," Dawn instructed. She laughed at his confused expression. "It's our tradition—we do it every year. Here, I'll go first so you can see."

All nine members of the group took their turns highlighting the paths that led from their respective names to their fate at the end of the paths. Drew was thrilled when his path led him to a "safe" fate since he didn't trust his baking skills enough to bake for May's friends, as was Paul, who couldn't (or rather, _refused _to) bake to save his life.

By the time they were all finished, eight of the nine paths (including Drew's) had led to a "safe" fate. They were all horrified to find that the only one that didn't was none other then Jimmy.

"Yeah! I'm the baker!" Jimmy cheered, throwing his arms in the air as he leapt from the couches and headed into the kitchen. "What kind of cookies do you guys want?"

"Can we go again? We won't get any cookies if Jimmy's the baker this year," Dawn whined.

"Nah, I got this, Dawn! You'll see! You guys just go on ahead and go sledding outside!" the guy called from the kitchen.

"Yeah guys, let's go," Brendan insisted in a low tone so that Jimmy wouldn't hear him. "Let him make his cookies; it's his kitchen that he's going to destroy anyway. We won't have to eat them."

Everyone reluctantly agreed and brought themselves to their feet.

Drew lingered behind with May as they all headed out of the living room to grab their outerwear and sleds. He turned to her with a questioning expression.

"Why are we going sledding while Jimmy bakes cookies?" he asked her.

"It's another one of our stupid Christmas traditions," May laughed, reaching out to grab his hand to lead him out of the living room. "The baker has to stay in the house and make cookies while we all go sledding outside."

"You sure take part in a lot of Christmas traditions, don't you?"

May laughed again and nodded.

Drew smiled at her and came to a stop once they reached a certain part in the hallway, making her stop as well.

"You want to know what my Christmas tradition is?" he asked her when she cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What?" she inquired curiously.

Drew smirked cheekily and slid his thumbs through the belt loops of her jeans to pull her into him. Then, he pointed up to the green plant hanging above their heads.

"Kissing under the mistletoe," he said, and then leaned down to kiss her.

May giggled against his lips, and brought a hand up to cup behind his neck, thoroughly enjoying the kiss. She figured that her friends wouldn't miss her too much if she took a few minutes to enjoy some alone time with Drew.

But of course she wasn't that lucky.

Someone cleared their throat at that moment, making the two of them jump away. They both turned to find Jimmy standing before them with a goofy expression on his face as he clutched a spatula and a wooden spoon in his hands.

"I was just going to ask one of you guys which one of these things I have to use to make the cookie dough," he told them, a sly smile working its way onto his face. "But never mind—I'll leave you two _alone_. Bye, guys!"

May sighed in frustration as she watched him scurry away.

"Freakin' Jimmy," she muttered.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Don't you just love Jimmy? Such a funny guy. xD Hope you guys had fun reading this chapter! Don't be upset if this chapter didn't have have as much interaction with the gang as you would've liked; they're going to be appearing for the next two or three chapters! Now, with that reassurance, would you pretty please leave a review on your way out? Thank you! :D

By the way, did you guys know what I was talking about when they were picking the baker? I didn't know what the chart that they drew was called, so I described it the best way I could. If you guys are confused, search up 'Big Brain Academy Pathfinder' into Google. The type of chart that they use is what the gang used to determine the baker. :)


	32. Christmas Day

**Update July 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p><em><strong>Responses to Reviews...<br>The Mysterious E:**__ Lol! Right? xD  
><em>_**tinytogepilover:**__ Mmm, no more May rivalry, but there is something totally unexpected toward the end. Stick around for it? :)  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Haha! I was actually worried that she didn't have enough traditions since I called the chapter 'Traditions'! Yup! It was that chapter! And Drew got more than jealous; he got obsessive! xD Life's going great, thanks! How about you?  
><em>_**Pkemaster:**__ Isn't he? I love him. :D That's great! I feel so accomplished for actually being able to do that!  
><em>_**Claire Ville:**__ Thank you, sweetheart!  
><em>_**KittyRin:**__ So do I! Lol, what's not to love about Jimmy? That kid's awesome. xD I know! I'm so upset that we have to wait another seven months or so until Christmas. ._. Thankfully, these months have been flying by, so it may not seem too long! I'll be so upset if the world really does end before we get to Christmas, though, haha!  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Thank you! :)  
><em>_**Blitz:**__ Isn't Drew such a sweetheart? :D And I have never really given Oldrivalshipping much mind until some of my reviewers for this story requested some Oldrivalshipping moments! I'm going to have to read some fics to make me fall in love with the shipping in order to write one on my own, so we'll see how that goes. :) Thank you so much, sweetie!  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Haha, I swear I searched all over the internet to find the name for it, but I couldn't. Fail whale. xP  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Lol! Yes, he went there! xD And I need as many light-hearted chapters I can get before the drama and angst starts to kick in in the final five chapters or so. :p  
><em>_**chocolatehell:**__ I love guys with the need for bromance. They're always so funny when they crave it. xD Yeah, I'm trying keep from packing a whole bunch of events into the next couple of chapters because I feel like the final five or so chapters will have enough drama and angst to make up for it. And you'll see! He wasn't invited to the cabin stay because he _did_ graduate way before any of members of the gang did, so he's not as close to any of them as he is to May. But he will be making his appearance soon! I love Gary, I really do. But what I'm about to do to him, I do not like. :\  
><em>_**Chi-Chiwawa:**__ Hehe, aren't I a total dork? xD I really need to write a fic with the two of them together as friends. Imagine how much comedy I could include in it! Max isn't going to have a love interest because he really isn't an important character in this fic, unfortunately. And I don't think I'm going to have room to include Beautifly/Masquerain romance in the final ten chapters. Perhaps in one of my future fics, but not this one. Sorry. :\ Lol! I love the fact that little kids have no clue how much money is a lot of money. You could just bribe them to do anything for you for a dollar and they'll do it. xD I'll have to get back to you with that viewpoint thing! I'll PM it to you tomorrow!  
><em>_**theasianwonder:**__ A total nut, which is why I'm having so much fun portraying him. ;D  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Haha! I have never seen him in the animes, so I wouldn't know. xD  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ I do, because I'm the same! The pseudo gay guys are the funniest! I tried so hard not to cry when Prim and Finnick died, and I succeeded. But my chest was hurting like hell. I really was forcing those tears back. :( Jennifer is absolutely perfect for the role! She deserves a gigantic hug or some crazy award for her portrayal of Katniss—seriously!  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ Haha, Jimmy's just so lovable! :)  
><em>_**SpikEarPichu'sTrainer:**__ Haha, I love you, too, honey!__**  
>shanasakura-scarlet21:<strong>__ Well, I guess you could say that! And I'm positive! He managed to snag Marina, after all! He's just got a desperate need for bromance. ;D And lolololol! I may have to make her straddle him just for that!  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Definitely!  
><em>_**rats xp:**__ Japanese gardens are so beautiful! I wish I had one in my backyard so that I could go outside and relax in it whenever I want!  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Lol, what trouble? You didn't cause any trouble! xD I don't have any either, now that I think of it. And I have something else in store for Paul's torture, and that torture happens to be named Jimmy. Don't you worry!  
><em>_**DreamlessDirt:**__ With Jimmy? Absolutely! :D  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Hah, you still reviewed! It's okay as long as you always review before the next update!  
><em>_**xDragonairx:**__ Hehe, you may be surprised at how well Jimmy's cookies are going to turn out. xD Yeah! I agree! Some of the stuff is so unrealistic (well, to the pokémon world anyway) and they really just went overboard with the amount of pokémon that they keep adding! Why couldn't they just stop after Hoenn or Sinnoh? Dx I don't really like Iris, either, so that's why I don't plan on ever giving her a major or minor role in any of my fics. She only managed to get a cameo in this one because it's only natural that she would attend Ash and Misty's wedding.  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ That's great to hear! Thanks! :D  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ Hahaha! Thank you! I try to keep Paul as in character as possible. I just make Jimmy as funny as possible. xD_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 32<strong>

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><p>"You know, these really aren't half bad," Marina mused to her boyfriend as she bit off another piece of her sugar cookie. "Who would've thought that you could bake such good cookies?"<p>

"Did you doubt me, babe?" Jimmy smiled as he draped an arm around her shoulders and nuzzled the side of her head.

"I'll admit I had my doubts."

"Hey Jimmy, can I get another one?" Drew requested as he readjusted May in his lap as she played against Cam in a video game.

"I got you, best friend," Jimmy grinned. Then he began to crawl across the sofa that the four of them shared with his jar of cookies to get to Drew.

Picking a green-sprinkled cookie out of the batch to match Drew, he shoved half of it into the guy's mouth.

"Thanks, Jim," Drew mumbled, his voice distorted by the massive cookie.

May chortled when she turned around to see her boyfriend's startled expression, only to have Jimmy stick a cookie into her mouth as well. She blinked as Drew smirked at her in a taunting manner. She glared right back at him.

"Hah! I just beat you, May!" Cam cried happily as the typhlosion that he was controlling via the game station controller landed a successful blow on May's machamp, causing the virtual pokémon to teeter.

"Hey!" May cried, her voice muffled by the large cookie in her mouth. "You did _not_! I still have some hit points left!"

Unwilling to accept defeat, May swirled the two thumbsticks around on her controller, making her machamp dance around Cam's typhlosion on the screen. She did so in order to avoid all of Typhlosion's hits until she could get Machamp close enough to it to attack. After that, she jammed her thumbs onto the right buttons to make her machamp use Cross Chop. It was a successful hit.

Cam frowned at the screen and sulked from where he sat on the floor in front of Natalie, who was sitting on the couch and eating one of Jimmy's cookies. She snickered as she watched Jimmy creep around the couch with his jar of cookies in hand. He climbed up the end and sat beside her, holding up a finger to his mouth to let her know not to say anything.

She smiled and held up her hand, forming a circle with her index finger and thumb to give him the okay. He handed her his jar of cookies and then lunged at Cam.

"Gah!" Cam cried out as Jimmy suddenly seized him around the neck and rammed a cookie into his mouth.

Everyone cracked up as Cam tried to wrestle Jimmy off him.

May quickly seized the opportunity to win the battle between her and Cam, defeating Typholsion with her machamp's brutal combination of Thunderpunch and Vital Throw. By the time Jimmy had rolled off of Cam and scurried away, it was already too late for Cam to make a comeback. He pushed himself onto his knees and yanked the cookie out of his mouth to gape at the screen.

"Yay!" May cheered as the game announced her victory. "I win!"

"Y-you cheat!" Cam breathed in horror. "That wasn't fair! Jimmy attacked me!"

"Hah! That's _your_ problem! I won fair and square!"

Cam growled and scanned the room for the cause of his loss. He watched as Jimmy scampered away to the other side of the room after retrieving the jar of cookies from Natalie.

"Jimmy! Get your butt back over here!" he roared.

"No can do, bro," Jimmy laughed as he leaned into the person who was occupying the loveseat before he had climbed on. Upon seeing who it was after he turned his head, a bright smile lit up his face. "Hi, Paul! I thought you were Brendy!"

"He's in the shower," Paul deadpanned, gazing at Jimmy emotionlessly before he let his eyes drop to the jar of cookies in Jimmy's arms. "Give me another cookie."

"No," Jimmy said firmly. His mouth formed into a circle as he pulled the bowl of cookies into his chest and leaned away from Paul. "My cookies."

"_Give me a cookie_."

"_No_! You said you didn't want one when I was handing them out after everyone came inside from sledding!"

"Jimmy, give me a cookie," Paul all but snarled. And then he lunged.

Jimmy whimpered and leapt up from the loveseat, dashing out of the room before either Paul or Cam could get to him.

Brendan was just appearing at the bottom of the stairs as his friend ran down the hallway, a look of pure horror on his face.

"Whoa, Jimmy!" Brendan exclaimed as Jimmy crashed into him. "Calm down! What's up?"

"Paul and Cam are trying to kill me!" Jimmy screamed in his face. He took off sprinting to the stairs before Brendan could even blink.

Brendan shook his head as he walked into the family room.

"What just happened?" he asked when he saw that Paul and Cam were sitting down.

"What do you mean?" Cam asked innocently.

"Jimmy just said you and Paul were trying to kill him."

"Pfft," Paul snorted as he popped a cookie into his mouth from Jimmy's jar that he cradled in his lap. "I don't know what he was talking about."

Dawn rolled her eyes from where she sat perched on an ottoman above Marina.

"You two are lying through your teeth," she accused as she braided Marina's hair.

"Say what?" Cam asked her as he took the jar of cookies away from Paul, ignoring the guy's deadly glare.

"Were you and Paul not attempting to kill Jimmy until you both got too lazy and just stayed in the room?"

"That they were," Marina piped, raising her hand and sticking up her index finger to emphasize that Dawn had a point.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Paul deadpanned, while he crossed his arms over his chest.

Brendan slowly sat down beside May, who had slid off of Drew's lap to indulge herself in the video game that she was currently playing with Natalie.

"Who should I believe?" he asked her.

"I dunno," she said in a clipped tone as she punched the buttons on the controller with her thumb. "I wasn't paying attention. Game time. Don't talk to me."

Brendan blinked and turned his attention to the television screen to watch the game.

A blaziken, which he assumed to be May's, was brutally pummeling an ampharos. The green bar at the top right corner that indicated the number of hit points the ampharos had left was draining rapidly. Brendan predicted that there would only be about ten seconds left of the battle until the ampharos would faint. There was no way that it would be able to defeat Blaziken. The latter's hit points bar was nearly full.

"_Nooo_!" May wailed as the ampharos fainted on the screen, causing everyone in the room to jump in shock. "My ampharos! My undefeated record!"

_Huh, so the ampharos wasn't hers_, Brendan thought to himself. He turned to Natalie and assessed her smug expression.

"Did you just beat her record?" he asked.

"Yep," Natalie declared proudly as she started a new game. "In approximately three minutes and twenty-six seconds."

"Good job, Natalie," Drew chuckled.

"Thanks!"

"I hate you both," May mumbled, slumping in the couch as Brendan hesitantly reached out and took her controller from her hand. She glared at him, though she made no effort to get it back.

"But we love you, May," Natalie insisted with a cheeky smile.

"Yeah, don't hate us," Drew added with a smirk as he wrapped an arm around the brunette.

May chewed on the inside on her mouth as she crossed her arms over her chest. She remained silent for a moment until something came to her mind.

"I'll love you guys again if one of you makes me some spicy ramen noodles while I go shower," she suggested, eying between the two of them to see who would volunteer.

"I'll do it," Natalie offered, pushing herself off the ground. "I was going to make some anyways. Anyone else want some?"

"I'll take a bowl!" Dawn piped, raising her hand temporarily before bringing it back to work on Marina's hair.

"Spicy or regular?"

"Spicy."

"'Kay," Natalie said. "Anyone else?"

When no one else asked for ramen noodles, Natalie headed out of the family room and to the kitchen, where she rummaged the cabinets for the ingredients to make the noodles.

Brendan frowned as he realized that there was no one to play against him in the video game. May would have volunteered had she not followed Natalie out to go take a shower upstairs. He almost shut off the game system altogether to watch TV until Drew grabbed the spare controller from the coffee table.

"I'll play you," he offered with a kind smirk.

Brendan smiled back and selected his character from the game directory.

"Alright," he said.

After Drew created his character in the game, the two guys went on to choose their pokémon for battle from the ten that the game selected for them randomly. Brendan went for a dragonite, while Drew chose a salamance—a fair battle in the skies.

They were both happy to find that neither of them harbored any hard feelings against the other. The battle was lighthearted and fair, completely free of any competitiveness that went outside of the game. Their conversation throughout the duration of the game was friendly and fair as well. They talked like two guys who had been friends from the very start, as if they had never been love rivals.

It was relieving and pleased May to no end when she returned from her shower an hour later to find that the two were still talking off on the other side of the room with the other guys.

"Hey guys," she greeted her girl friends as she sat down on the couch beside Dawn. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing really," Dawn shrugged as she shoved some noodles into her small mouth. "Brendan beat Drew in the game and Jimmy got harassed when he came back down here—nothing new. Turns out he went to take a shower, too."

Marina laughed.

"You should've seen what they did to him, May," she expressed. "They ganged up on him and pummeled him with pillows and shoved cookies into his mouth."

"And you allowed it to happen?" May asked her, laughing at the mental image.

"He's a big boy now," Marina replied with a shrug. "He can take care of himself."

The girls laughed just as Jimmy let out a cry of alarm. They turned around briefly to spare a glance over in the boys' direction, but quickly lost interest when all they saw were the guys cracking up and Drew shaking his head.

A moment later, after all of the girls had turned their heads back to engross themselves in a conversation, he came over to their side of the room and sat down on the couch beside May. They all cocked an eyebrow at him as he pressed his lips into a straight line. Whether it was to suppress laughter or to refrain from frowning, they weren't sure.

"What're you doing over here?" May asked him.

Drew looked at her through half-lidded eyes.

"Do you really think I want to be over there while Jimmy's pants are off?" he asked.

The girls' eyes widened and they all snapped their heads over to the group of boys.

Paul was standing up on the air hockey table with the slightest hint of an amused smirk on his face as he tauntingly waved Jimmy's sweatpants in the air. The black-haired boy tried desperately to get them back, flashing his green and red plaid boxers as he jumped up and down, but Cam had a firm grip on both of his ankles, preventing him from lunging up into the air high enough to retrieve them. Meanwhile, Brendan remained squatting on the floor beside him, gripping his knees to support himself as his guffaws threatened to throw him off balance.

The girls turned back around to look at Marina, who wore an unusually mortified expression on her face. It took them a second, but then they started busting out laughing as well.

Natalie fell off the couch as she cracked up, clutching her stomach as her behind hit the floor. Dawn actually snorted in her fits of laughter, while she subconsciously smacked Natalie's knee, mistaking it as her own.

May simply threw her head back and laughed just as Drew groaned and pulled her onto his lap. He buried his face into the back of her neck, while Marina dragged a hand down her own.

"H-how did..._hah_...Paul manage to get them off of him?" Dawn asked in between her guffaws.

She blinked to rid of the gathering tears in her eyes before she glanced at May. When they met each other's eyes, they cracked up all over again and she fell backwards.

"Cam and Brendan tackled him to the ground and Paul yanked them off," Drew deadpanned, watching the laughing girls through half-lidded eyes before he looked back at the guys.

He shook his head again just as Jimmy accidentally fell on top of Cam, who yelped in alarm. He found himself unable to keep from chuckling at the sight.

"What a great Christmas Eve," he muttered.

* * *

><p>Christmas arrived right on schedule the next morning, accompanied by a light flurry of snow.<p>

Dawn was the first to rise out of the nine people who were currently inhabiting the log cabin, and she made sure to wake up all the girls before she went to the opposite side of the house to wake up the boys. The majority of them were annoyed with her at first, but the excitement of Christmas soon got to them, and they found themselves merry and eager to enjoy the holiday.

Paul, however, took a lot longer to wake up.

"Paul," Dawn droned as she yanked on the covers of her boyfriend's bed. "Wake up—it's Christmas. Stop sleeping!"

Paul grunted and yanked the covers back out of her grip.

"I don't care...let me sleep," he mumbled into his pillow.

"You can sleep anytime of any day! Christmas is more important than sleep!"

"I beg to differ."

"Christmas only happens once a year."

Silence.

Dawn huffed and sat back on the bed, eying her boyfriend's silhouette, which was outlined by the thick covers. An idea dawned on her and her lips curled up deviously.

"If you don't get up, I'll get Jimmy up here to molest the crap out of you," she threatened.

Paul's eyes snapped open and he immediately pushed himself up off the bed.

"You're an evil child, did you know that?" he deadpanned as he glared at her, noting the pink Santa hat on her head with disdain.

"Of course I am," she piped with a proud smile as she reached to wrap her arms around his neck. "I wouldn't be the girlfriend that you love so much if I wasn't, right?"

Paul didn't respond. He simply leaned forward and allowed her to press her lips to his, capturing them in a sweet, lingering kiss that warmed his insides despite the chilly winter weather.

His arms went around her waist to draw her closer to him, and she sighed into his mouth, a content smile pulling at the corner of her lips.

_What a wonderful way to start off Christmas morning_, she thought to herself.

Until a voice broke them apart.

Jimmy grinned goofily in the doorway as he eyed them with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"I knew you two would be making out!" he exclaimed as he quickly jogged into the room.

In one swift motion, he pulled a Santa hat over Paul's head before he shouted "Merry Christmas!" at the two of them. He ran back downstairs before either of them could do anything to hurt him.

"Why is it always him?" Paul grumbled.

Dawn shrugged at him as she got off the bed.

"I don't know," she said, and then extended her hand. "Let's go kill him, shall we?"

Paul smirked.

"Yes," he said, his voice rather eerie. "Let's."

The excited chatter of their friends could be heard as Paul and Dawn descended the stairs. They walked into the family room, where they found mixture of torn wrapping paper and untied ribbons strewn the room, opened boxes and empty bags littering the floor.

Their friends were scattered about the room, opening boxes and thanking one another for the gifts.

Jimmy, however, was nowhere in sight.

Hiding no doubt, Paul decided. He'd hunt him down later.

"You knitted me a scarf?" Drew laughed as he pulled out a chunky navy blue scarf out of the box that May had given him.

He ran his fingers along the cable knit pattern and admired the neatly knit stitches. Not bad at all for the work of a first-timer.

"I know. So cliché, right?" May laughed back as she tore the wrapping paper of the box that Drew had given her, one of the few that sat behind her.

"I love it," he smiled as he wrapped it around himself and reached in to pull out the other present. A larger smile broke out onto his face when he saw that it was the leather jacket that he had wanted back at the Vermillion City boutique. "And you got me the jacket, too? Thanks, babe!"

"You're welcome!" May smiled, and went on to snap open the velvet jewelry box in her hand. Her eyes widened at the sight and she tentatively took out the necklace.

"Is this a diamond?" she breathed in disbelief as she moved the ring around, watching as the stone caught the light.

"Yeah. And the necklace and ring is pure white gold."

May gaped at the ring that she held in her hand. It was a simple silver band with one single diamond encrusted into the silver, but the size of the diamond was more than enough to make her want to squeal.

An intricate rose design was engraved into the outer side while the inside had one single line of words engraved into it. "My love for you, always and forever" was what it read.

"You spoil me way too much," May breathed as she ran her fingertip along the delicate silver chain of the necklace.

"You're worth spoiling," Drew grinned and took the necklace to put it around her neck. "And I hope to be the one putting that ring onto your finger when the time comes."

May simply turned around at the words and tackled him on the couch. She smiled as he laughed, pressing kisses to his lips as she told him she loved him over and over again.

The sound of the doorbell ringing traveled from the front door all the way to the family room.

May pushed away from Drew and grinned excitedly from ear to ear.

"I think that's her!" she exclaimed, meeting his eyes with an incredibly happy glint in her own.

"Brendan!" she called to her friend, who was closest to the door. "Can you get that for me, please? I want a chance to tackle her."

Brendan nodded and pushed himself up from where he was opening a present on the ground. He jogged out the room and down the hallway to the front door to open the door for whoever it was that May invited. His jaw nearly dropped at the gorgeous redhead standing before him once he opened the door.

Her luscious red locks framed her small, heart-shaped face. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, the lovely shade of red popping nicely against her ivory skin. Her teal eyes twinkled even in the dull lighting of winter, looking like a beautiful painting in a frame of thick black lashes.

Her perfectly pink lips were slightly parted as she took him in. She appeared to be just as in awe as he was when he opened the door for her, her pretty eyes widening slightly at the most handsome guy she had ever seen in her life. Her heart began to pound in her chest, and she was afraid that he would be able to hear it despite her many layers of winter clothes.

It rendered her incapable of speech, something that she was not used to. She was _hardly_ ever speechless, and he seemed to be just as incapable of words as she was. At least, for the moment until he could recollect himself.

"H-hi," he eventually managed to stutter as he stepped aside for the girl to enter. "I'm Brendan. Come on in. You must be—"

"Brianna!"

The redhead snapped out of her trance and diverted her eyes from Brendan's face to see who had exclaimed her name.

A familiar brunette charged at her at full speed before leaping onto her and straddling her around the waist, causing her to let out an _oof _as she almost toppled over. She tried desperately to support the weight of her friend.

"Hi, May," she laughed breathlessly.

"I missed you so much! I'm so happy you're here!" May exclaimed happily as she leapt back down and pulled Brianna back in for a bone-crushing hug.

"I see where Jimmy gets it from," Drew muttered to Marina as the group walked down the hallway.

The blunette pressed her lips together to suppress a smile and nodded.

"Hey!" Jimmy cried in protest as he suddenly appeared in the living room behind him. "I didn't get it from May! If anything, _she_ got it from _me_!" He backed up a little from where he stood as he prepared for a demonstration. He called to May. "Hey! May! Watch! _This_ is how it's done!"

All eyes turned to Jimmy as he suddenly took a running start in Drew's direction.

Drew sighed at the sight, completely expecting Jimmy to jump on him again.

"Not again," he groaned. He braced himself from the blow of the guy's weight.

But the blow never came. In fact, Jimmy ran right past him, all the way to an unknowing Paul. Then he leapt.

Paul cried out as his friend tackled him, nearly taking him off his feet. Everyone including Brianna gasped in shock as the offended guy growled and pushed Jimmy off him, who immediately took off. Paul roared and chased after him.

"What just happened?" Brianna asked, completely and utterly confused as she turned to Brendan.

Brendan chuckled at her, and Brianna nearly felt her heart stop at the handsome smile that he presented her with.

"Merry Christmas, Brianna," he said.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Review? :) Thanks for reading! I don't really have much to say for a change, so I'll just leave you guys with a bye.


	33. Torn on the Eve

**Update July 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It's thanks to you all that we've reached 700 reviews! Please keep them coming! I can't thank you all enough! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Happy reading!<p>

Oh, and get ready for the climax of the story, because it's going to start rolling at the end. Everyone seems to want drama because the past couple chapters seemed too "happy-go-lucky"... Just keep in mind that there are _seven_ chapters left! Just because the past couple chapters have been light-hearted and fun, _doesn't_ meant that the rest will! I did plan a lot of drama starting next chapter, and quite a bit of angst, too! I just hope you guys will be able to handle it! :D

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>Inkorporated:<strong>__ Gosh, I'm so glad that I have a pack of snickerdoodle cookies at home to satisfy any cookie cravings I may have! I_ love _snickerdoodle cookies... I don't even think there's a shipping for them, lol! I'm not turning Gary back into his egotistical self, despite how lovable he was back when he was cocky! There's only going to be heartbreak for him, unfortunately. D:  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ I'm happy to hear that! You make my day just by reviewing! :D  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ LOL! Can't you just imagine Paul's fury? xD  
><em>_**theasianwonder:**__ Basically! ;)  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ Yes, yes he is! Lol, Paul as the newest cookie monster...hahahahahaha!  
><em>_**KurunaGirl:**__ Ahh, that's what I led you guys to think! Don't forget, there are still seven chapters left in this story. A lot can happen in seven chapters, and it's definitely not all 'happy-go-lucky!' There will be a lot of angst, and I mean a lot of angst! I just hope I don't upset any of my readers! And there will be an argument...a big one in a way, which is going to be lead up to by drama. I'm not going to be revealing anymore, but you'll probably be able to guess near the end of this chapter. Just keep in mind that just because something hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean that it won't happen. :)  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ I've always pictured Dawn as extremely petite, and petite people are evil (myself included!) so of course she has to have that evil spark! xD  
><em>_**leontinees:**__ You know, it didn't cross my mind, either, until two weeks ago when I suddenly began to miss Brianna, and so I brought her back in my storyline! :)  
><em>_**SpikEarPichu'sTrainer:**__ I'm sorry, but I honestly couldn't think of one! Glaceon is literally the only four-legged ice-type pokémon. :\  
><em>_**Yuri. Alisa18:**__ Hello there! Nice to meet you! :) First off, I'd just like to thank you for everything you said about my fanfic! As for the "basics" that you asked me to teach...well, I don't think I'm the best teacher for that. xD Lol, the only thing I can tell you is to make sure that you have good grammar and writing skills. Meaning, know where to put your punctuation, when to end a sentence, what punctuation is appropriate to use, etc. No one likes to read a story that's hard to understand! I'd suggest reading some of your favorite books and studying the way they are written for a foundation to build your knowledge of writing off of. That's what I do. :p  
><em>_**Solar Powered Pandas:**__ I know! Can you believe that they were actually attending school before all of this? :') Thank you so much!  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ Thank you so much! :D I agree! I just feel like the cast for the _Hunger Games_ is perfect! Each actor and actress portrays their own characters perfectly! I love them! And it's not sad! Lol, I'm on the same boat as you guys. xD  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ No, it was funny! xP Gosh, you made my mouth water—I love ice cream! Do you like butter pecan? That's my favorite flavor. :)  
><em>_**HI the rose:**__ There's going to be drama, alright, and a lot of it. But Brianna may not be the one who's bringing the drama!  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Haha, thanks! I'll let you know if I ever want a cameo!  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ School's ending in about two weeks for me. :p Right? Isn't he sweet? :D  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Lol! I already used it at the end of the last chapter! :p  
><em>_**Chi-Chiwawa:**__ Why thank you! :D I'm really sorry that I haven't gotten around to the viewpoint thing! With finals and everything coming up, I really haven't had much time to spare! I'll try to get to it as soon as possible!  
><em>_**xDragonairx:**__ There will definitely be more drama lol; I had it planned, and everyone seems to want it, so there definitely will be! I honestly don't like the new pokémon at all, or the new characters. But lol! Your typo! That's why I have autocorrect shut off on my iPhone. xD  
><em>_**torchic chick:**__ I update every week! :)  
><em>_**PokeGirl657:**__ Lol! Well, I do like Brunetteshipping a lot (though not as much as Contestshipping) so it's only natural that I lay it on heavy with them. ;D  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ We should make that a national holiday! :)  
><em>**_Blitz:_**_ Life is going swell! How about you, sweetheart? :) I'd love to travel to Australia someday! What is it like there?  
><em>_**UltimateLoveStorys:**__ Hahaha! I love him, too!  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ Lol! I once choked myself while laughing while I was drinking water, and I spit it all over my friend. :)  
><em>_**shanasakura-scarlet21:**__ Oh god, my friends are absolutely terrifying. I'm the smallest one out of the group, and they all like to harass the crap out of me! Lol, it's terrible being short sometimes. The tall one likes to put all of her weight on me just to crush me. :P  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Lol! How about you just promise to review before every update? It doesn't matter when, as long as you review once for every chapter! xD You'll see!  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ Yes, he can! Surprisingly! :D And poor Paul! LOL!_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 33<strong>

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><p>"Brianna, could you hand me my mousse? I can't reach it."<p>

"Here you go," Brianna singsonged without removing her gaze from the bathroom mirror, which she was staring into to apply some mascara.

"Thanks," Dawn muttered as she took the tiny bottle and squeezed some product into her hand.

She rubbed her palms together before she went on to tousle her shoulder-length waves. Afterward, she walked across the large bathroom to the full-length mirror, where she assessed her party assemble.

"Do I look okay?" she asked.

Brianna stuck her mascara wand back into its tube and turned her head to get a look at Dawn.

Of course, the pink-loving girl just couldn't refrain from wearing a dress with pink in it. Though the dress did have a silver sequined bodice, the rest of it was made up entirely of a flowy pink skirt that went down to her knees. To match the dress, she had selected a pair of hot pink peep-toe pumps. The sleek look of the patent leather combined with the silver glitter-coated heel and platform made for the perfect pair of shoes for her. The entire assemble made her look incredibly flirty and playful.

"You look absolutely adorable," Brianna smiled truthfully. "That dress makes you look great."

"You don't think I'm showing too much skin?" Dawn inquired. "I mean, I am showing my back."

She turned to get a look at her backside in the mirror, while adjusting the straps on her shoulder. Aside from the wings of the dress bodice that fastened at her back like a bra, nearly her entire back was exposed.

"Please, Dawn. If you're showing too much skin then I'm right there with you."

Brianna and Dawn both turned their heads just as Marina strode into the bathroom, looking as beautiful and elegant as ever with her hair gathered over one shoulder. Always the classy one, she donned an ivory dress that possessed a conservative jewel neckline in the front. Her friends almost scoffed at her for what she had said to Dawn earlier, but when she turned around, they held back.

The back draped down incredibly low, exposing her entire backside all the way to right above her rear, where the drape ended in a beaded cowl. If anything, she was probably exposing more of her back than Dawn, whose lower back was at least covered by the skirt of her dress. And with her feet clad in a pair of black patent leather pumps, which had a red sole that provided a nice pop of color to her assemble, she looked both sensual and camera ready.

"Yep, I'm not alone," Dawn chirped happily. "I'm good."

Brianna let out a laugh as she teased the top sections of her burgundy hair, which created a nice pouf at the top of her head. Then, she pulled all of her hair into a sleek high pony and smoothed everything out. When she was satisfied with the 'do, she pulled away from the bathroom counter and allowed her friends to appraise her.

"How do I look?" she asked them.

Marina turned and ran her eyes down Brianna's two-tone body con dress clad figure.

The strapless number started from the cream-colored bodice, which ended at her pelvis in the shape of a V before crossing over to the black skirt that went all the way down to the middle of her thighs. Two parallel black lines ran down from the sweetheart neckline on the outer sides of her bust, flattering her chest area immensely. Her peep toe leather pumps added the perfect pops of color to her neutral dress with their purple leather and red sole.

Marina nodded in approval.

"I love it, especially your shoes," she said to the redhead. "Have you ever considered modeling, Brianna? You definitely have the looks and figure for it."

"I agree—you would make the perfect swimwear model with those legs," Dawn gushed, while eying Brianna's legs with envy. "You must attract so many guys."

Brianna laughed and blushed slightly. "Aw, thanks," she muttered shyly.

"I'm sure we all know of one guy who she attracts," Natalie's voice chimed from the doorway, drawing the attention of all three girls. They turned to get a look at her, and wound up taking in her party assemble as well. "And his name is _Brendan_."

Her dress was a gorgeous mini dress. It possessed one single unique shoulder strap that looked as if different pieces of fabric were linked together to create a chain. A pretty silver beaded appliqué occupied the space at the middle of her bust, and a drape of fabric trailed from the center, all the way down to her right thigh.

The wine color of the dress drew out the flecks of wine in her multi-glitter-coated peep-toe pumps, while the grey heels and platforms tied in with the appliqué. As for her hair, she went for an elegant side ponytail that rested on her lone bare shoulder, a wavy strand of hair left out on the opposite side to frame her face. It was a perfect assemble that greatly complemented her looks.

Brianna blushed even harder at the sound of the guy's name.

"D-don't be ridiculous," she stammered. "I do not."

"Hm, then you're either oblivious or just plain blind," Dawn proposed, tapping her chin thoughtfully as a playful grin played at her lips.

"I'd say 'oblivious' is the bigger possibility," Natalie expressed, a teasing smile on her lips as well. "If she were blind, how would she get all googly-eyed whenever she sees Brendan?"

Brianna groaned at the words, which were quickly deepening the red color on her cheeks.

"Stop," she whined. "_Please_."

Marina let out a laugh and swung her arm around the redhead's neck.

"Okay, okay, we'll leave you alone," she assured, and began to lead the lot of them out of the large bathroom that she shared with Natalie. "Let's just go get May and get going to the party, alright?"

"Where is May, anyways?" Dawn asked. "Is she still getting ready?"

"Here I am! Sorry! I had trouble doing my hair!"

The jaws of the four girls nearly dropped as they took in the sight of May.

For the party, she had chosen to wear a little black dress. The particular style that she chose was simple and consisted of nothing but inch-wide shoulder straps and one single zipper going down the middle.

But it was gorgeous just the same. It hugged her body like a second layer of skin, accentuating every single curve, especially her rear and bust.

The short length also gave the illusion of elongated legs before they ended at her peep-toe slingback pumps clad feet. The black glitter-coated surface gave the dress a bit of glam and the red sole provided just the right pop of color.

The shoes combined with the dress and her newly cut, shoulder-length waves made her look effortlessly sultry and sexy.

"Wow, you look like sex on legs," Natalie breathed. "Black suits you, honey."

May burst out laughing at her friend's remark. "Gee, thanks, Nat! That was definitely the first time I heard that from a girl!"

"What are friends for?" the dark-haired girl responded, a proud smile lighting up her face. "Let's hurry up and get our coats, though. The guys are probably waiting their butts off downstairs."

The other four girls agreed to her statement and went about their rooms, searching for their winter coats. Once all five coats were located and put on, they headed downstairs to find the guys all waiting in the living room.

Unlike the girls, who had all put forth an effort to get ready for the New Year's Eve party, the guys seemed to have all made little to no effort to get ready. They were all dressed in practically the same outfits, which consisted of dark wash jeans, dress shoes, and presentable tops.

Three of the five males donned V-neck sweaters, while Jimmy and Drew both went for grey blazers. The only difference was that one wore their blazer over a navy button-down shirt, and the other a plain black V-neck tee respectively. Regardless, they all still managed to look good and well-put together.

"You ladies all set to go now?" Jimmy asked as he rose to his feet to head over to his girlfriend's side.

"Yep, we're ready. Sorry if we kept you guys waiting long," Marina said with an apologetic smile.

Cam waved a hand dismissively and walked up to Natalie to take her hand.

"No biggie," he insisted. "Who's going to be riding with who? No point in taking five cars."

"I think Paul and I are going to be driving to the party by ourselves," Dawn said as she walked over to her boyfriend, who already had his car keys in his hand. "Ready to go, Paul?"

The guy simply shrugged in response and turned his icy gaze over to her, sizing her up as if to get a glimpse of her dress through the thick material of her peacoat. He stopped when his eyes landed upon her shoes.

"Your shoes are so pink and glittery," he noted, his nose wrinkling slightly in disdain.

Dawn smirked at him in return, obviously enjoying the poor attempt at feigning disdain. He liked seeing her in pink and glittery things, he just wouldn't admit it.

"Wait 'til you see my dress," she told him.

Paul simply gave a small grunt.

"Then, I guess Natalie and Cam can ride with us, and Brendan and Brianna can ride with Drew and May?" Marina suggested, eying the expressions of each person whose name she had said to see if there were any disagreements.

"Sounds good to me," May shrugged, and reached her hand into her coat pocket to dig out her car keys. "Let's hurry up and leave, though, or else we're going to be late for the party."

The group of friends all filed out of the living room and out into the winter night. The sharp, icy snowflakes falling in the frigid air bit at their exposed skin as they hurried across the snow-covered ground to get to their cars. Their breaths puffed out of them as they walked and were made into ghosts by the chilly air.

Even from where they were on Route 121, they could still see the festive New Year decorations in Lilycove City. The large silver ball that hung at the top of a tall pole at the heart of the city shone proud and bright. In a mere couple hours, it would drop, thus bringing in the new year and bidding farewell to the old.

Brendan trailed behind his group of friends. While they were all well on their way to the garages, he took his time walking down the steps of the porch stairwell.

A redhead walked alongside him, chatting away endearingly as her ponytail swung from side to side. He smiled at the sight.

"Ms. Lawrence," he began, formally addressing her in a teasing manner. "May I ask a question?"

Ms. Lawrence smiled and cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, Mr. Birch?" she inquired, playing along.

"It has been brought to my attention that we both don't have dates for the party tonight, am I correct?"

"You are."

"So, I was thinking—since you don't have a date, and I don't have a date—would you, by any chance, like to be my date for the evening?"

Brianna couldn't help but let out a laugh and blush. Whether it was due to his cheeky question or his incredibly good looks, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that he made her stomach flutter just by speaking to her alone, and the way that he was staring into her eyes was enough to make her melt. There was only one answer that she could give him.

"Absolutely, Mr. Birch," she grinned.

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><p>"You know, this may be the first time that I have ever seen you wearing a black dress before," Drew mused as he danced to the beat of the song, his eyes transfixed on his girlfriend.<p>

"Mmm, is it really?" May murmured, her arms in the air as she danced without looking at him. "And what do you think of it?"

"I think...," he began to respond, but trailed off as his eyes wandered down from her face to the rest of her body, which was being moved in the sultriest ways possible.

The way she was dancing was tantalizing, especially in the form-fitting LBD that she wore, capturing the eyes of many male party attendees, who all stroked her figure with their eyes as she danced. Her glittery shoes caught the bright colors of the revolving lights dancing on the ceiling.

They moved all over her body, coloring her different colors in the dimly lit dance room. She looked perfectly relaxed and at ease, swaying and arching her body to the beat of the music.

Drew had never seen her dance in such a way before, so sultry and sexy. He had never been so turned on in his life, and began to imagine what it would be like to pull the zipper down on her dress...

Until he remembered that he had yet to finish his statement. And that the guys in the room were still ogling her way too much for his comfort.

May let out an _oof_ as Drew suddenly grabbed her hips and pulled her into him, turning her around so that her back was pressed against his chest. He encircled her waist with his arms, letting the guys in the room know that she was his and his alone as he leaned down to murmur into her ear.

"That I have never seen anyone look as sexy in my entire life," he told her. "Black definitely suits you."

May giggled as she began to move her hips in time with his, her arms reaching up to go around his neck.

"I believe I've been told that earlier tonight," she murmured.

"Oh? By who?"

"Natalie. She also told me that I look like sex on legs."

"What an interesting thing to say," Drew chuckled. "You know, I think there was an empty room somewhere by the bathrooms..."

May laughed at the playful innuendo and smacked one of his hands. "You pervert."

Drew only laughed again.

The lights continued to twirl around on high ceiling like a kaleidoscope, flicking lights over every surface area. Standing tables with food and drinks circled the dance floor, along with the crowd of party attendees who didn't feel like dancing.

Famous young people made up the crowd, all of them attendees of the annual New Year's Eve party held at the Lilycove City Pokémon Hall building. Excited conversations buzzed amongst the crowd as they all mingled and had fun to enjoy their last couple hours of the year.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," May suddenly announced as the song ended. She pulled away from Drew and turned to look at him. "Will you be okay all alone for a bit?"

The guy playfully rolled his emerald eyes at her. "Of course I'll be okay. How old am I, May?"

"Hey, I'm just asking to make sure that you won't be lost during my absence."

"I'm sure I'll manage for a few minutes," Drew assured her with a smirk, his hand reaching up to cup her face. He brought her face toward him to plant a swift kiss on her forehead. "Just don't take too long, alright?"

May rolled her eyes with a smile at his statement, much like the way he had a few seconds prior. With a promise to "be right back," she turned away from him and headed through the crowd of people on the dance floor to make her way to the ladies' bathroom, located just down the hall from the dance room.

After getting done what she had to do, she made her way out of the bathroom and back to the dance floor. She passed by a balcony on the way down the hallway, and had her attention drawn from her by the white specks falling outside.

She found herself walking out onto the balcony, her arms resting on the railing as she watched the snowflakes rain down on the beautiful city of Lilycove. She wasn't that high up in the building; the party was merely on the second floor, but she still received a nice view. The winter air nipped at her exposed skin, but she felt that she could handle it for a few seconds if not a minute.

"Aren't you getting cold?" someone suddenly asked.

May turned her head around at the sound of the familiar voice, thinking that she knew the owner. To her delight, Gary Oak was indeed standing beneath the doorway, clad in black trousers and a burgundy sweater under a grey coat.

But the sight of him surprised her and kept her from running to give him a hug. Though it was not for his sudden appearance at a party that he had neglected to attend for the past couple years—it was his face.

Gary seemed older, somehow, as if he had aged dramatically since the last time she saw him at Ash and Misty's wedding. He appeared stressed and burdened, like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. There were slight traces of black bags under his eyes, which had their playful twinkle replaced by a poor dupe, and there was something off in his smile. As if he were faking it, along with the fraudulent happy glint in his eyes.

May couldn't kick the feeling that she had also observed what seemed to be an undercurrent of sadness beneath his mask. Everything about him seemed off.

"I'm fine. The cold's not really bothering me," she told him, eying him with concern as he came up to stand beside her on the balcony. She shook her head at him when he offered her his coat. "Is there something wrong, Gary?"

"Only you could detect that there's something wrong with me at a glance," he chuckled, the sound bittersweet and unusual, while he turned his head to look at her.

"Well, I _am_ your best friend, after all," May pointed out with a sheepish smile. "What's wrong?"

Gary shrugged his shoulders, diverting his eyes back out to the city.

"My grandfather has been quite ill for the past couple of weeks and a lot's been going on at the lab," he told her. "I'm just really stressed, that's all."

"Professor Oak's ill? Is he okay?"

"His health has been deteriorating because of his age; he's not the lively and energetic professor he used to be," he said with a sigh. "He's doing better now than he was last week, but that doesn't keep me from worrying about him."

"He'll be fine," May promised, reaching out to give him a comforting pat on the back. "But then why are you here if he's ill?"

"I had to see you and I knew you'd be here, so I came to find you."

"Me?" she asked incredulously. "Why did you want to see me?"

A humorless laugh puffed out of Gary's lips, turned white by the cold of the night.

"When do I not want to see you?" he asked, though the question seemed to be more for himself than her. "I always want to see you. I miss you all the time."

May was taken aback at the words, but she tried not to show it. She had a hunch that their conversation was about to head into a bad direction. Her own words failed her as she pondered on what she could say until he suddenly reached over and wrapped his arms around her.

"G-Gary!" she stuttered in alarm, her hands hovering on either side of him as she thought about whether or not to hug him back. "What're you doing?"

"It's been hell these past couple of weeks without you, May. I've really missed you," he murmured, ignoring her question.

He hugged her to him for a moment longer until he finally let go and put a bit of distance between them. He flicked his eyes all over her face, making her grow uneasy.

"You really are dating him, aren't you?" he eventually asked.

"Who? Drew?" May asked stupidly.

A second after realizing how silly she sounded since she only had one boyfriend, she stammered, "Uh...yeah. I am."

Another humorless laugh came from the brunet in front of her as he shook his head, causing her to eye him warily.

"Guess I'm really too late, after all," he muttered, and then he suddenly ran a hand through his hair in an aggravated motion. "Damn it, I waited too damn long."

"You waited 'too damn long' for what?"

The second the words left her mouth, May instantly regretted them because Gary's following words were not ones that she wanted _nor_ needed to hear.

"I waited too damn long to tell you how I feel about you," he confessed. "I've been in love with you for years and I'm waiting until now to tell you when it's obviously too late. I should've told you a long time ago before he came into the picture. I screwed up, and now I'm practically drowning in the regret every day."

May gaped at him, her heart suddenly hammering away and her head suddenly pounding as she absorbed his words.

"What are you talking about, Gary?" she asked stupidly, though she understood his words perfectly well.

"Don't tell me that you didn't know all these years. How could you not tell that I had feelings for you?" He shook his head in disbelief. "It was so obvious that I love you. How could you not tell?"

Anger suddenly surged through May like a wave, hitting every inch of her body and making her fume. Her fists clenched at her sides, while she tried to resist the urge to strike him across the face.

He did _not_ just say what she thought he said. No way. No way in hell.

But he did.

How _dare_ he. How many times had she hoped and prayed for him to tell her that he loved her, in a way that was not platonic? How many times had she hoped and prayed for him to return the feelings that she had once had for him? She had wanted so badly for him to see her in the way that she once saw him, and now he was telling her that he had in fact saw her in the same way and just _expected_ for her to know?

How incredibly selfish and stupid of him! If he had been so good at keeping his feelings secret then why couldn't he just keep them to himself for the rest of his life instead of telling her now when she _had a boyfriend_?

"Why are you just now telling me these things?" she demanded, unable to keep the anger out of her voice. It was the first time that she had ever spoken to him in such a harsh manner, and she suddenly found herself unable to stop. "Why now, when I'm dating Drew? How could you do this to me? I loved you for the longest time and I _waited_ for you to tell me that you loved me back! I wanted to hear those words for years, and you decide to say them to me _now_? Why couldn't you just keep your feelings to yourself?"

"I honestly thought that you would figure it out!" Gary exclaimed in his own defense, clearly irritated himself. "I dropped so many hints—I thought you would be able to find out on your own! But when I saw that you wouldn't, I figured that you noticed them but didn't want to acknowledge them!"

"You totally assumed! You could've just told me anyway!"

"It's not like you told me about your feelings for me, either! Why didn't you ever tell me then, huh?"

"You _think_ that you made it obvious that you liked me, but did you ever stop to think that maybe you sent me mixed signals?" she practically screamed at him, making him flinch slightly at her loud decibel. It was a miracle that no one had heard her, but she didn't seem to care if anyone did or not. "And what about me? Was it not obvious that I liked you, too? Did you not stop to think that it maybe it was hard as crap for me to tell you that I liked you because I didn't want to put our friendship on the line? You have so many girls going after you every day! How could I possibly have known that you wanted _me_ out of all those girls? _You_ should've just told me!"

"That's complete crap, May! You're allowed to have insecurities and worry about our friendship but I'm not? Do you think I didn't worry about risking our friendship, too? And I may have girls pining after me, but have I ever paid any girl as much mind as I do you? It was clear that I preferred you over all of them, but it didn't seem that you held me in such high regard, especially after you agreed to travel with _Drew_!" Gary countered, saying Drew's name like a curse. "If you really liked me as much as you said, then why would you even agree to traveling with him in the first place?"

"Why didn't you say anything to stop me?"

"What would have been the point? It's not like you would've have listened! You didn't even listen to Brendan when he poured his heart out to get you to change your mind!"

"I would've listened to you!" May cried, her chest rising and falling rapidly as her frustration grew. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, and she did all that she could to keep them at bay. "If there was anyone who could've gotten me to change my mind, it would've been _you_!

"But you didn't! You didn't even _try_! I spent weeks living in guilt because I felt like I was betraying my feelings for _you_, and it took me forever to accept Drew because of that! And now, that I'm finally in a happy and stable relationship with him, you're dumping all of this on me out of the blue!"

Gary paused, breathing heavily as his anger suddenly evaporated, only to be replaced by pain. He had never in his seven years of friendship with May, ever argued with her. Not once. They hadn't ever even raised their voices at one another, and now they were in a full-fledged argument.

Why had he even come to the party in the first place? His grandfather was ill back at home. And instead of taking care of him like he was supposed to, he came to the party to find her.

What had he been trying to do in the first place, anyway? Win her back? Let her know his feelings for her so that she would leave Drew and be with him instead?

But there was no way that she would do that. It was clearly too late for that, and he was making himself look like a fool by standing there in front of her. He had started an argument with her involuntarily, and the result was damaging to their friendship. He was wrong to have dumped the truth on her like the unnecessarily heavy load it was.

She was right—why couldn't he have just kept his feelings to himself? She would have been better off going the rest of her life without ever knowing the truth. It didn't do her any good, and it certainly wasn't doing him any good either. He should've just kept his mouth shut.

He should just leave. Leave and get out of her life instead of burdening her with more of his troubles. He suddenly remembered what he had come to tell her, but he decided that it would be best left unsaid. She didn't need to hear anymore from him.

But he had to hear one more thing from her.

"Does he make you happy?" he asked, the final question before he would tell her goodbye. He wanted to know—just _had_ to know before he left her.

May took a deep breath and gathered the words to answer his question, but she was interrupted when Gary's PokéNav suddenly rang. He sighed heavily and reached into the pocket of his trousers to pull the device out, flipping it open as he did so.

"Hello?" he greeted emotionlessly into the speaker after pressing the receiver to his ear. And then there was silence as he listened to the person on the line speak.

May didn't know what he was hearing on the other end, but she concluded that the words were not ones that he wanted to hear. His darkened expression instantly morphed into something else. His mouth was slightly agape and his eyes were slightly widened.

Her anger suddenly disappeared, and she immediately found herself filled with concern for him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Damn it," he said through gritted teeth as he ran his hand through his hair again. He turned to May with a look in his eyes that made her heart wring in pain and worry for him.

"I'm so sorry about tonight, May. It's been so long since I've seen you and I suddenly dump all of this crap on you," he apologized, and then asked of her, "Just...forget about all I said, okay?"

Then, he ran his hand through his hair for the third time before saying, "Forget that this night even happened. I gotta go. Bye."

And then he was gone before she could say anything, leaving her standing utterly confused and completely torn. And for the first time since she stepped out on the balcony, she suddenly felt very cold.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> And there goes the beginning of the climax. Stay tuned for next week? Review even though I'm a little late again? Please and thank you. :)

The pictures of the girls' assembles should be up on my Photobucket around tomorrow afternoon. As of right now, the link to it on my profile is gone because I'm currently "renovating" my profile and Photobucket account. Please be patient until I can get done with the renovations! Thank you.


	34. Oak Passing

**Update July 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p><em><strong>Responses to Reviews...<br>Pear-Shaped:**__ It's always sad to see someone suffer the consequences of waiting too late for someone. :( If that made sense, that is... And he didn't exactly "dash off"; he did tell May that he was leaving. ;D  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ Congrats! Good thing I love oranges, eh? :D Of course I forgive you!  
><em>_**tinytogipilover:**__ Thank you so much for recommending my story to your friends! There may not be a fight involving the three of them together directly, but there will be some drama involving them indirectly. I hope that made sense, haha.  
><em>_**KittyRin:**__ Thanks! Six more chapters to go; you'll see!  
><em>_**The Mysterious E:**__ Haha!  
><em>_**Liellana:**__ Thanks! I got your other reviews, too! I really appreciate it! :D  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ Darn you; how'd you know? xD I don't hate him! I just don't know why I decided to kill him off...  
><em>_**Blitz:**__ It's winter where you are? It's near the beginning of summer here! I want to visit Singapore! My aunt tells me it's a really clean and beautiful country! If only I spoke Singaporean...would Cantonese work there? :P  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ HAHAHAH! I love how you worded that! Yes, sh*t did go down last chapter, and it's about to go down again! xD And you'll see what happens! I'll have to check out that song soon!  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Haha, well, some stories have more than two guys going after one girl. Gary, Drew, and Brendan do tend to have multiple fan girls, after all, so I figured, why not make May have three guys going after her? Well, two guys now. xD  
><em>_**SpikEarPichu'sTrainer:**__ I wish I had a shiny eeveelution! Actually, I kind of don't, because I would have difficulty deciding which eeveelution I would want to evolve my eevee into. D;  
><em>_**chiiee. 28:**__ Thank you so much! Unfortunately, I don't think I will be continuing on with _Patience is Rewarded_; I just don't know where I want to go with it. I may have to rewrite it someday. :\  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Please, babbling's fun! Thank you so much! Saying that about my story means a lot! I can't believe it's already almost over, too! Waah, I was having fun writing it. xD Well, this story _is_ called _Love Unexpected_, right?  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ Really? I didn't think it was intense enough! xD  
><em>_**Inkorporated:**__ Lol, didn't it? xD Drew will find out...eventually. I'm actually going on another obsession phase with snickerdoodle cookies. They're so good!  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Hahah! See? I knew you'd be early someday! Thanks for everything in your review!  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ I know!  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Haha! Well, boys will be boys! I feel like Jimmy would have the most fun out of everyone. You know him. xD  
><em>_**Angel-of-Energy:**__ It's alright! You're still reading and reviewing—that's what matters!  
><em>_**shanasakura-scarlet21:**__ Hahah! Thank you so much! I have someone who understands me! :)  
><em>_**liellana:**__ Haha, thanks for the two reviews!  
><em>_**xDragonairx:**__ I seriously planned to end my fic in spring! I didn't even think about it that way, though! That's such a good idea! Thanks! :D  
><em>_**DrewlovesMay:**__ Aw, but we love Gary!  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Lol, poor Paul and Gary! Why do you hate them?  
><em>_**61wisampa:**__ Well, hello there new reader! Nice to meet you! Thanks for reading and what you said to me! :D  
><em>_**Yuri. Alisa18:**__ Yes, I made them look as sexy (but not slutty!) as possible! ;D  
><em>_**DreamlessDirt:**__ I know; they never met! D: But I cant make it happen in my story! xD Well, you have to give them something sweet before you give them something bitter!  
><em>_**necrouge:**__ Saturday is actually the day that I promised everyone, but sometimes I end up being an hour or so late. I want to thank you so much for taking your time to read all 33 chapters! Sorry about not making any scenes seen through the eyes of lillipup (I know; I love him, too!) but I only ever write scenes through the eyes of a pokémon if absolutely necessary!  
><em>_**UltimateLoveStorys:**__ D:  
><em>_**LuvAllPokemon:**__ Yes! Every story needs drama! xD  
><em>_**parkhyunjae:**__ It's alright! Thank you for reviewing!  
><em>_**PorcelainDollxx: **__Thank you! _You're_ awesome! :D  
><em>_**Ruby Romance:**__ Well, it _is_ called _Love Unexpected_! :D That's what I've always said; late is better than never! Thank you so much for reading!  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ Thanks so much! That's perfectly fine! I don't care how short the review is as long as you actually reviewed! :)_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 34<strong>

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><p>Brianna giggled as she bounced up and down in time with the music along with the other people on the dance floor. Brendan bounced alongside her, watching with a grin on his face as she sang along to the newly changed song.<p>

The pattern of the lights had changed to match the rhythm of the upbeat music. Instead of revolving like a kaleidoscope, they were flickering all over the place at rapid speed, flashing one place a certain color before shooting to the next. It was pretty and fun, making the room feel very much like a dance club.

"I never pictured you as the dancing type!" Brendan called to Brianna over the pound of the loud music.

"This isn't dancing!" Brianna called back with a laugh. "This is just bouncing in place!"

"Oh, really? Then what is dancing with you?"

"I'll show you when the time comes!"

Brendan couldn't help but to laugh again.

Brianna joined along, allowing her eyes to wander as she continued to bounce in place. She could pick out a few people that she knew out of the large crowd, six of which were friends that she had just made on Christmas Day.

Jimmy and Marina were bouncing on the dance floor just a little ways away from her and Brendan. They were drawing the attention from a couple of people, though it was probably most likely just due to Marina's beauty.

Cam and Natalie were off to the side, mingling with a group of their own friends, while Dawn and Paul were busy stuffing their faces over by a table. Or rather, Paul was stuffing his face; Dawn was attempting to get him on the dance floor. Sadly, she tried so to no avail.

As for May: she was nowhere to be seen.

Drew, Brianna could see, was moving through the crowd to get to an area unknown. He was tall, but he wasn't exactly the tallest person in the room; she was only able to identify him by the head full of green hair. It appeared as if he were trying to get to the door, but right before he reached the doorway, he made a sudden turn over to a table.

Brianna craned her neck to get a better look, and found May desperately downing a glass of punch. She stopped dancing to point the sight out to Brendan, whose forehead immediately creased with worry. He stopped dancing, too.

"May! Is everything okay?" Drew asked as he approached the brunette, watching with concern as she gulped down half of her punch. "You were gone for a while."

"Yeah, I'm fine," assured May, rather breathlessly. "I was just really thirsty, that's all."

Drew cocked an eyebrow at the freshly empty glass in her hand.

"I see that," he said. He raised the other when she went on to refill the cup. "_Extremely_ thirsty now, aren't we?"

Another breathless response. "Yes. Absolutely."

Drew remained silent for a moment, watching May as she downed one cup and refilled it to gulp down some more. It was so obvious that something was wrong with her, and he wondered why she was keeping it to herself. She _had_ taken a little longer in the bathroom than an average person did. He wondered if something had happened to her; he just didn't buy her thirsty excuse.

"May," he began softly as he reached out to grab her wrist, "did something happen?"

May sighed and placed her glass of punch on her table. Of course he'd see right through her. He was her boyfriend, after all.

"Something did happen," she admitted reluctantly. "But it's nothing that I want to talk about right now. Could I tell you later?"

Drew nodded slowly, unsure of his decision to do so. He wanted to find out right then and there, but if May wanted to talk about it later, he would respect her wish.

With a pressed smile, he reached out to cup her face in his hand so that he could pull it in to himself. He pressed a kiss to her forehead for the second time that night.

To May's absolute grief and horror, a memory of the time Gary kissed her forehead at prom invaded her mind. Her stomach did a flop, but not in a good way. She couldn't help but feel as if she were currently betraying Drew. He was her boyfriend, and she was thinking about Gary as he was kissing her.

It was a terrible moment of déjà vu.

"Whatever it is, don't think about it too much, sweetheart," he told her once he pulled away. "Whatever it is, it'll be fine."

May tried her best to muster a smile.

"Yeah. It will be," she said, trying to convince herself.

_Hopefully_, she added as an afterthought in her head.

"Hey! What are you two doing over here?" Brianna exclaimed, appearing before the young couple, who jumped slightly in surprise. "Shouldn't you both be over there dancing?"

"Yeah, why aren't you two dancing?" Brendan asked as he came up beside Brianna. He turned to May to study her expression. "May, I thought you loved this song."

"I do, but I'm not really in the mood to dance right now," May informed.

Brendan watched as she pressed her lips into a straight line. It was a habit of hers whenever she was uneasy or uncomfortable that he had come to know over the years, and he frowned upon recognition. He knew there was something wrong with her, and he gave Brianna a look just as Drew eyed May with concern.

"Are you sure you don't want to dance?" Drew asked. "This is one of your favorite songs."

"Yeah, I'm sure," May insisted. "You go on and dance first. I'll catch up with you in a bit."

"But—"

"Drew, let's just leave May be and go dance," Brianna piped before Drew could get out another word. "May can catch up with us later when she feels ready."

"You two go on ahead," Brendan said, his eyes not leaving May's face. "I'm going to see if I can get this girl onto the dance floor before the song ends."

Before May or Drew could object, Brianna had already dragged Drew into the direction of the dance floor. As his head was turned, she threw a quick look over her shoulder at Brendan, which he responded to with an understanding nod.

Once she disappeared into the crowd with Drew, he turned back to May with a solemn expression. She had refilled her glass of punch.

"What was that all about?" she asked as she took a sip.

"We knew something was wrong with you, so we planned something to get Drew away," Brendan answered simply.

The brunette shook her head without looking at him. "There's nothing wrong with me."

"How long have we been friends? I know you better than that, May."

Rather than answering, May simply took a sip of her drink.

Brendan scowled. "Stop drinking. You're going to get drunk."

May snorted.

"This isn't even an alcoholic punch," she scoffed, and then resumed her drinking.

"Was it Gary?"

May paused just as the beverage reached her lips, coating them. She pulled the glass away as she turned around to look at him in disbelief.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"I saw him wandering around here, but he left soon after you left. So I figured he went looking for you."

"Oh."

May finally set down her glass of punch. She sighed as she reached for a napkin from the pile beside the punch bowl.

Brendan studied her face while she wiped her lips, noting how stressed she looked. She had done a good job of hiding it from Drew, but once he was gone, her mask crumbled. The look in her eyes was distant, as if she weren't really there. Her lips were still pressed together in the same straight line. She looked as if she were battling with something inside of herself.

"What happened, May?" he finally asked.

May slowly turned to face him. She found him staring her with a look in his amber eyes that practically dared her to oppose him. It dared her to deny him the story and truth that he wanted from her. She sighed heavily before telling him.

"He told me he loved me," she began to confess in a rush, just wanting to get it all out, causing Brendan to pull back in shock. "That he still loved me. And he told me how he missed me all the time and how the past couple weeks have been hell for him without me. His grandfather's sick and he's been having some problems at the lab. He just looked so stressed out and completely not his usual, cheerful self.

"Then, he just dumped the entire truth on me. How he's loved me for years, but never told me. How he thinks he waited too late to tell me because I'm dating Drew now. How he regrets not telling me sooner." She sucked in a shaky breath. "I broke his heart. I broke his heart, and I didn't even realize that I broke it. And now, I'm stuck feeling like I'm betraying Drew because I let Gary's words confuse the crap out of my heart. I don't know what to do now!"

Brendan could feel himself scowling.

"Why didn't he say anything to you before you went traveling with Drew?" he asked.

"That's what I want to know!" May exclaimed angrily before the anger ebbed and she went back to looking lost. "Why couldn't he just tell me sooner? This whole thing could have been avoided if he had just _told me sooner_."

"Do you really wish that he had told you sooner?"

May blinked in surprise and met his eyes. "What?"

"Do you really wish that he had told you sooner?" Brendan repeated. "You do realize that—had he really told you sooner—everything that happened in the past few months wouldn't have happened. You probably never would have gone traveling with Drew, and your relationship with him never would have happened.

"Do you really wish that it never happened? Aren't you happy with your relationship?" He paused to let the words sink in before asking one final question. "Don't you love him?"

"I-I do," May stuttered after a moment. "I really do love Drew. But it just makes me so _angry_ that Gary would wait until now to tell me. If he loved me as much as he said then he should have made an effort to change my mind like you did!"

May blanched after blurting out the last sentence, worried that the sentence would bring back unwanted memories. The last thing she needed at that moment was for Brendan to rediscover his feelings for her. She didn't want to have to break his heart, too...again.

Brendan simply sighed, making May's breath hitch. But it wasn't for the reason that she thought; he simply pitied her for being so overwhelmed in such a short amount of time. She had only been laughing it up with her friends a mere few hours ago. It was amazing how much had changed and happened.

"Look, how about we just go and enjoy the rest of the party?" he suggested. "I know you're in no mood to, but it makes no sense to just sulk around for the rest of it. You wouldn't want to make Drew worry, would you? Just enjoy the party and you can sort everything out later.

"You're just feeling overwhelmed now—that's why you're so confused. Just forget about everything for the rest of the party and maybe it'll all become clear by the time we get back to the cabin."

May rubbed her lips together in a straight line, another uncomfortable habit of hers. She didn't know if she would be able to "just forget about everything for the rest of the party" if she couldn't even forget about everything for a _second_. Gary's words plagued her mind and weighed heavily on her heart. They left her utterly torn.

But she eventually nodded and followed Brendan back to the dance floor. He was right: it made little sense to sulk around for the rest of the party. Not only would it result in nothing, but it would only serve to make all of her friends worry—make _Drew_ worry. She would cheer up and forget everything for his sake, even if it were just for the time being.

"Good girl," Brendan grinned as May walked alongside him. "Now, can you smile for me, beautiful?"

May actually found herself grinning a real grin. Leave it to her best friend, Brendan, to get a genuine smile out of her even in her most troubled of times. She even leaned into him when he slung his arm around her shoulders.

"So eager to get back to Brianna, huh?" she teased, enjoying the slight blush that painted across Brendan's cheeks.

"Hey, I help cheer you up and you go ahead and tease me? What's wrong with you?" he joked.

"Now, what kind of a best friend would I be if I didn't tease the crap out of you?" May grinned goofily. "Do you like her?"

"I don't know if I do or not," Brendan shrugged, feigning nonchalance though the smile on his lips said otherwise. "All I know is that she makes me feel funny."

May cooed at his words and they both bursted with laughter as they got closer to Drew and Brianna, who both eyed the two of them with concern.

May smiled at Drew, making him breath out in relief when he saw how honest it was. Meanwhile, Brendan gave Brianna a wink as he slipped his arms around her waist, to which she giggled and gave him a discreet thumbs up.

And that's how the rest of the party went: happy, fun, and completely trouble-free. May danced her heart out and enjoyed the time that she got to spend with her boyfriend and friends.

Brendan and Brianna got along very well, too. They spent most of the night in each other's company and even danced to a slow song in a very intimate embrace. It was wonderful, and Brendan enjoyed every minute of it.

All four of them eventually reunited with the rest of their friends in time to watch the big ball drop. They drove to the heart of the city, where they joined in on the countdown with the rest of Lilycove City.

Drew was ecstatic to be counting down with May. It was their second new year after meeting each other and he couldn't be more happy about the fact that they were actually spending it together—and as a couple, no less. He delighted in the fact that she seemed to be sharing the same thought.

"Ten!" everyone began to count as the ball inched ever closer to the bottom of the pole. "Nine! Eight! Seven! Six!"

"Hey, May?" Drew shouted over the counting. "Do you know what's so great about this New Year's Eve?"

"What?" May shouted back, straining to hear him over the loud noise as the crowd counted down to three.

Drew grabbed her around the waist, smiling cheekily at her bewildered expression.

"It's the fact that I can get a New Year's kiss from you," he said, and then captured her lips just as the crowd completed the countdown.

Cheers and hollers erupted from the crowd, filling the city with the loud welcome for the new year. Couples kissed, family and friends embraced, and everyone rejoiced in the arrival of the new year and welcomed it. Gone was the old year—a new year had arrived, one for new memories to be made. Celebrations for the arrival commenced immediately.

May and her friends wound up retiring to Jimmy's cabin about an hour after the ball dropped. New parties were starting and old parties were still going on, but they weren't in the mood to party anymore. They were all exhausted and wanted nothing more but to get home and into their warm beds. A midnight snack was a possibility, but as far as they all knew, sleep was their first priority.

However, Jimmy appeared to have other plans once they arrived back at his cabin. While everyone trudged their way into the living room, completely drained of their energy, he practically skipped down the hallway and into the family room, dragging a groggy Cam with him. By the time the two of them reached the family room, the dark-haired guy was nearly dead on his feet.

Natalie simply yawned at the absence of her boyfriend, not even bothering to go after him. Instead, she shed her coat and shoes on her way past one of the living room couches. Carrying them both in her hands, she headed to the nearest staircase.

"I'll be down after my shower," she informed, pausing afterward to let out another yawn. "If not, then I probably slipped into a coma in bed. Tell Cam for me, somebody?"

"Natalie, wait," Dawn piped, waving her hand as she scurried over to Natalie's side. "Walk with me. I may not make it to the second floor if I walk by myself."

Natalie nodded once, her eyelids already drooping from fatigue as she turned back around to look at their friends.

"Anyone else?" she asked.

Brianna, May, Marina, and Paul were the ones to follow the two of them upstairs. Since there were a total six bathrooms in the entire cabin, each of them were able to have one shower to themselves.

As they did that, Brendan and Drew went to the family room to see what Cam and Jimmy were up to, only to find Cam sprawled out on the armchair, deep in sleep.

Jimmy had gone to the kitchen to pick up a midnight snack—a bag of chips for himself, a jar of his cookies for Paul, and popcorn for everyone else.

"Who wants to see a movie?" he asked vigorously, far too energetic for anyone else in the house to compare to.

Drew groaned and Cam changed position in his sleep.

"_No_. No movies, Jimmy," Brendan mumbled from where he lay on the couch, his voice muffled by a pillow.

Jimmy seemed to be lost in thought under the doorway of the family room with the snacks in hand. After a short moment, his face lit up with an idea.

"Alright then. Let's do karaoke!" he exclaimed.

A collective groan filled the air.

Paul was the first out of the six who had gone to take showers to leave the bathroom. Once he was dressed in his pajamas, he retired to bed, only to be stirred awake by Dawn when she was finished with her shower. After much effort and strain on her part, she successfully managed to drag Paul back down to the family room, where they found Jimmy bellowing at the top of his lungs into a microphone, singing along to a song on the karaoke machine.

Paul narrowed his eyes.

"Jim, shut up and go take a shower," he commanded. "Now, before I unplug that stupid karaoke machine."

"Aw, Paul!" Jimmy cried in complaint, nearly deafening everyone when he accidentally spoke into the microphone. "Lighten up a bit. It's New Year's!"

"Jimmy, _now_, before I break your microphone!"

Jimmy grumbled and shoved his microphone into Drew's unwilling hands. He continued to grumble on his way to the second floor, passing May on the way.

She greeted him, but he didn't seem to acknowledge her, and so she shrugged him off and continued on her way to the family room.

"Bathroom's open for anyone who wants to use it," she announced upon arrival, and immediately went to sit beside Drew on the floor. She eyed the microphone in his hand with a cocked eyebrow. "You're singing karaoke?"

"No," Drew scoffed. "Jimmy shoved the mic in my hand."

"Drew, could you hold that for me? Or someone else?" Cam asked, springing up from the armchair that he had been dozing on. "I'm going to see if I can beat Jimmy back down here after I shower. I want a chance to sing before he hogs the thing up again."

Drew shrugged and handed the microphone off to May, who frowned and stuck it back into the karaoke machine. She pushed herself off the ground and went over to sit on the couch in between Dawn and a sleeping Brendan. With a light tap on his shoulder, she woke him up.

"Hey, the bathrooms are open," she informed him. "Go take a shower before you sleep."

Brendan responded with a yawn and slowly pushed himself off the couch. He trudged to the nearest bathroom after retrieving his pajamas, still utterly exhausted. By the time he managed to finish his shower, everyone had already returned to the family room.

Dawn had her head resting on Brianna's shoulder, who had her head resting on Dawn's, while the other shoulder was occupied by Natalie. Drew sat off to the side playing a video game of sorts on the ground with May and Marina, who had her back facing Paul. The guy was sitting on the armchair, lazily stuffing one cookie into his mouth and chewing slowly before stuffing in another.

As for Jimmy and Cam, they were practically wrestling each other for the microphone on the floor.

"Dude! I love this song! Let me at it!" Jimmy cried and lunged for the microphone in Cam's hand.

The guy simply held a hand in front of Jimmy's face, while the other kept the microphone high up in the air and out of Jimmy's reach.

"Oh, no you don't, Jim," he said. "You already sang enough. My turn, dude."

"I own the damn machine, Cam!"

"Yeah, and I bought you this karaoke CD for Christmas!"

"So? It's the person that owns the machine who calls the shots!"

May couldn't help but laugh at the lighthearted banter between the two friends.

Brendan followed the sound of her laughter, and glanced over at her with relief. She was actually _laughing—_and the sound was genuine, not forced. She was genuinely happy, despite everything that had happened with Gary at the party, which only meant two things: either she managed to forget the incident for the time being, or she simply wouldn't let it bother her anymore. Somehow, Brendan knew it to be the latter.

And it was, or so Brendan and May thought.

The three days following New Year's Day, which were the last that they would all spend together before going their separate ways, had gone by smoothly. In those three days, May did often find herself remembering the incident, but she no longer had that feeling of guilt or of being torn. She was sure of her feelings for Drew; the incident wasn't affecting her anymore.

Brendan had been right; she had simply been overwhelmed, which led to the onslaught of troubling emotions. When she finally had time to calm down, she actually believed that everything would be alright.

That was, of course, until she walked back into the family room after taking a shower the night of the third day.

Everyone was gathered around the large television screen, watching the news. One half of her friends were staring at the screen in disbelief, while the other half were actually gaping. When they turned to her with horrified expressions, she was confused.

But then she heard the announcement on the news, and she instantly dropped the towel that she was using to dry her hair.

According to the newswoman, Professor Oak had passed away the night before.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Yeah...how many of you saw that coming? Lol, I could not believe how many of you knew he was going to die! I thought it was going to be unexpected, but I guess not! xD Oh, well—sorry Professor Oak, and to those of you who are upset about his death! Of course, knowing me and my love for dramas, his death is going to lead to some drama next chapter, which will be when the funeral takes place. Get ready! But in the meantime, please review? :P Thanks for reading!


	35. Sharing Sorrow

**Update July 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p><strong>ATTENTION!<strong>  
>Yeah, I know, I updated all early on Saturday for a change. Cool, huh? But before I let you guys read, you guys <em>have<em> to read this because this is **urgent**! Starting the upcoming Monday, I'll be going on a month long vacation and I'll be out of the states. With that said, I really don't know if I'll be able to update on time—or even at all—or not. The reason for this is I really don't know how the internet works where I'm going. I'll be staying with family, and they told me that they have internet there, but the thing is, I don't even know if the Fanfiction website will work or not. Also, there is about an eleven-hour time difference, something may be a bit difficult for me to work out.

But, I already have finished writing the rest of the forty chapters. I have them on a flash drive, which I will be bringing with me, so I'll have them handy if I ever do get the chance to update. So, keep your fingers crossed that I will be able to update on vacation; I'm prepared for it. Just please bear with me if I really don't get the chance to update. Just remember that I will be trying my best to update on time and if not, I'll resume the updating right on the day I get back, July 14th. Don't think that just because I don't update in a month that I have forgotten about this story; I haven't.

Now, with that clarified, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please and thank you. :)

For all you drama lovers out there, get ready for some _major_ drama at the end of this chapter. It's crazy, I'm telling you right now. Get ready, and don't get mad. :P

_**Responses to**__**Reviews...  
>Jace'sVampiress97:<strong>__ She will! But not quite yet. There's something else that she needs to tell him first, and it'll happen right at the end of this chapter. :)  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ Because I've always thought that they make a cute couple. There is such thing as Brunetteshipping (though they never really met in the anime) and since they're both my favorite brunette characters, I just had to put them together. If you're not happy with the beginning, you'll definitely be angry with the end of this chapter. Get ready. ;D  
><em>_**theasianwonder:**__ Well,_ I_ didn't kill him—old age did. :P Haha! That's great because I'm bringing a lot of drama! ;)  
><em>_**PorcelainDollxx:**__ Haha, it's just going to keep coming!  
><em>_**Ruby Romance:**__ You'll see why I didn't make her tell him just yet at the end of this chapter. She will, though, so don't worry. I'm sure we'd all love to snatch Drew away from her. ;D And I update every weekend! Hopefully I'll still be able to do so in the upcoming month since I'll be on vacation!  
><em>_**Just your average dreamer:**__ Thank you so much! I'll try to write more stuff during the summertime, but that's only if I can. I need to get my crazy amount of summer work out of the way after vacation first. _  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Ahhh, I'm not going to answer that question. Just stick around for the rest of the story to see. :P I've been considering a sequel, but I'll have to see if I have enough ideas and inspiration to write one!  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Thank you so much, sweetie!  
><em>_**Angel-of-Energy:**__ I didn't want him to die either, but unfortunately, it was the only way for me to build up the climax. He was my favorite professor, too. May he rest in peace. :\  
><em>_**chiiee. 28:**__ Haha, that's so cute! I've already PMed you, so I don't think there's anything else to say, huh? :P  
><em>_**Inkorporated:**__ You'll be even more mad at Gary (and maybe someone else, too) at the end of this chapter, trust me. Actually, you might pity him, but that probably won't happen until I get the next chapter up. That is, of course, _if_ I can get it up. You already know what I'm talking about. :P I'm just a terrible person, aren't I?  
><em>_**KittyRin:**__ You're right! It will lead to a turn of events—a drastic one. He will; I'll make sure he does. :)  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ It's okay! Just don't forget to review for the rest of the chapters, okay? ;D You'll see!  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ And there's even more to come!  
><em>_**MiladyYukie:**__ She'll be getting a few cameos in the next couple chapters. :)  
><em>_**Liellana:**__ It's okay! Just review for the final chapters, pretty please? :P  
><em>_**UltimateLoveStorys:**__ I know! Dx  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ He's in a better place! And I don't hate him—I love him! But his death was necessary in order for me to build up the dramatic climax. :P  
><em>_**DrewXMay:**__ None of us want them to break up, sweetheart, so I'll make sure that they won't! :)  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ Haha! Late, early—it doesn't matter just so long as you review! Lol, everyone keeps thinking there's going to be a confrontation between Gary and Drew! xD I totally agree!  
><em>**_Contestshippingfan:_**_ It won't be! I just hope that you won't mind the fact that they're only going to have minor cameos, which won't start to appear until after this chapter. :P  
><em>_**Monochrome13:**__ I know!  
><em>_**Blitz:**__ Seriously? No bubblegum? Say what? Dx I have gotten heartbroken before; numerous times actually. And I've had a similar thing happen to me! I'm sorry about your uncle though, sweetheart. :\ I have read the _Hunger Games_, and I absolutely loved it! What did you think?  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ We do! We're like best friends. ;D  
><em>_**DracoBlitzen:**__ I didn't know if you wanted me to reply to you as Blitz, or DracoBlitzen, so I just wrote two responses. :P  
><em>_**shanasakura-scarlet21:**__ You're pretty darn close there!  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ I understood completely, lol. Thanks! ;D  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ LOL! My friend says "me gusta" all the time, but I always forget what it means! Are you having fun in Japan?  
><em>_**xDragonairx:**__ Better late than never! You're fine! As a matter of fact, you're quite right! I was going for that actually! And unfortunately, I didn't end the story in spring! I wrote out the final chapters, and I just couldn't get the timing to end in spring. I actually ended it at the end of winter. Close enough? :\ I just might! Sorry! I like your new word, by the way. ;D  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome: **__Thank you! I couldn't have done it without you all! :)  
><em>_**SpikEarPichi'sTrainer: **__Aw, how cute. :D_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 35<strong>

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><p>May's crazy, initial thought was that it was Gary. That he had done something stupid to himself after their encounter at the New Year's Eve party. She nearly fell to the ground had Drew not rushed to her side and held her to himself.<p>

"Oh my Arceus..._no_," she breathed out, shaking her head in disbelief. It couldn't be him. It couldn't possibly be him, she thought to herself over and over again. "No, no, no, no, _no. _Tell me he's not dead."

"He's not dead, May," Drew told her softly. "You're thinking of the wrong man."

A memory of the night of the New Year's Eve party flashed in May's mind. Gary had told her that his grandfather was ill and that his health was deteriorating from his old age. It was Professor Oak (the old one) who had died, not Gary. It was _not_ Gary. The relief that flooded her at that moment was sweet.

But then she began to shake violently at the realization. Grief robbed the relief from her and took its place. Tears welled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks as she realized that Gary had just lost the only family member that he had left. The wonderful Professor Oak was gone, leaving Gary all alone without any family.

She began to clutch onto Drew's arm as she turned to sob into his chest. She sobbed over the loss of one of the greatest men that she had ever known. She sobbed over the loss of one of the greatest pokémon professors in history. But most of all, she sobbed for Gary.

Drew shushed her gently as he stroked her hair.

"Baby, it'll be alright," he soothed, feeling his heart constrict and his throat tighten as she cried. "Don't cry. It's going to be alright."

"No, it's not!" she sobbed in response. "He was his only family left!"

"May, honey, come here," Marina said as she leapt up from couch and bounded over.

She gently hugged May, who flung herself into the her arms. She rubbed soothing circles on the brunette's back as she continued to cry.

Meanwhile, the guys all left the room, save for Drew and Brendan, who both stayed behind with the girls to offer May some emotional support. After her crying ebbed, the guys returned with different plates of food and a bowl of her favorite ramen noodles with the hopes of cheering her up. They figured that food would be their best bet, considering her love for eating.

But May ate little, only nibbling on some of the dishes and eating a small chunk of her ramen noodles. Her appetite was dismal, while the only thing that occupied her mind was the fact that Professor Oak was dead. She couldn't even begin to grasp how Gary must have been feeling at that moment. She needed to see him. Immediately.

"Thanks for everything, guys," she said after placing her chopsticks on her bowl of noodles. She pushed away from the table, causing everyone to look at her with concern. "I think I should go upstairs and pack now. I'm going to set out for Pallet Town tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Already?" Brianna asked.

May nodded solemnly, her eyes rimmed red, but free of tears. "I need to make sure that he's okay."

Drew did his best to refrain from clenching his fists. May was worried about her best friend; he understood and would respect that. He wasn't going to keep her from going to Pallet Town because he knew that she would refuse to stay behind.

Besides, even if she didn't, he wouldn't do that to her. Or Gary for that matter—it simply wasn't him. So, with his jaw tightened slightly, he pushed away from the dining table as well, making May glance over at him.

"I'll go with you," he told her. "Let's go upstairs and pack. Then we can go get our ferry tickets on the way back home."

"You know what, May? I'll come with you," Dawn said as she stood up from the table as well. "My mom was a good friend of Professor Oak, and Gary's my friend, too."

Paul nodded and pushed away from the wall that he had been leaning on.

"Gary needs as much support as he can get right now," he said. "I'll come, too."

"Same with me," Brendan added. "My dad was one of Professor Oak's closest friends. I'll probably be attending the funeral with him, anyway. I'll meet up with you guys there."

"We're going, too, if you want us to, May," Jimmy piped, squeezing Marina's hand. "We both knew Professor Oak through Professor Elm. It's only right that we pay our respects."

"Cam and I really aren't in the positions to be heading to Pallet Town since neither of us got the chance to know Professor Oak or Gary personally," Natalie said. She stood up to give May a comforting hug. "But send him our condolences, please. If you ever need us for anything, you know how to reach us."

Brianna nodded sadly. "I'm with Cam and Natalie, but I'll go if you want me to."

May reached up to squeeze Natalie's hand in a gesture of gratitude.

"Thank you," she told the dark-haired girl with a smile, and then turned to the rest of her friends. "Thank _all_ of you for the support. I seriously appreciate it, really."

"We're your friends, May," Brianna said. "It's our job to support you."

May honestly felt as if she could hug the living daylights out of each and every single one of them, but she stuck with a grateful smile instead. She reached to clear her dishes before she would go pack her bags, but Jimmy waved her off and insisted that he would do it. With another smile thrown his way, she headed to the room that she shared with Dawn and Brianna, and went to pack her bags. No one followed her into the room for while, figuring that she probably wanted some time alone, which she did.

The house was eerily silent as everyone went to their respective rooms and packed their bags. The process went by rather smoothly, despite the sadness in the tense atmosphere. Before they all knew it, all of them had their bags packed and were ready to leave the cabin.

May was the first to be ready to leave, though she was by no means eager to leave her friends. She simply wanted to get to Gary as fast as possible, to make sure that he was alright.

Reluctant goodbyes were exchanged between all of the friends and a twinge of sadness still hung in the atmosphere. It was uncertain whether the sadness came from the lingering news of Professor Oak's death, or the fact they none of them knew the next time that they would see each other again. It was just extremely hard to say goodbye and part from friends. May couldn't help but try to imagine how hard it must have been to part with a family member in death, especially when that family member was the only one a person had left.

"Alright, I'll see you soon, May," Brendan said, while hugging the brunette goodbye. He pulled away to pat her on her shoulder with his hand. "It's all going to be alright, okay?"

May mustered the best smile that she could under the circumstances as she nodded. His words had duo meanings, and she understood both.

She just hoped that he was right.

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><p>The journey back to Pallet Town took about a good six days, the final day landing right on the date of the funeral. Four of those days, Drew and May spent on a ferry, traveling from the Hoenn region to Kanto. Once the ship docked at the Vermillion City harbor, they spent one single night in the Pokémon Center to rest up.<p>

The next morning, they boarded the earliest bus that would take them directly to Pallet Town with the fewest amount of stops possible. And with each passing hour on the bus ride, May's anxiety grew.

Gary was constantly on her mind, making her worry and fret over his unknown condition. She hadn't spoken to him since the party, mostly due to the fear that he no longer wanted to hear from her. But after her mother informed her of the funeral invitation that they had received in the mail, she was completely convinced that Gary needed her now more than ever. Her impatience to see him was nearly growing as much as her anxiety.

Drew was nearly being driven mad by her current state; he had never seen her in such a way before, so agitated and lost. She hadn't left his side since they received the news of the professor's death, but it was almost as if she weren't there. She barely smiled, or even spoke, things that she usually loved to do. Her appetite was practically nonexistent, and Drew rarely saw her getting even a small sip of water.

It bothered Drew beyond belief. He couldn't—and wouldn't—pretend that seeing his girlfriend in such a state didn't bother him. He simply couldn't kick the feeling of jealousy that probed at him every time he looked over at her. She was grieving over the loss of the professor and for her best friend, that he understood.

But it was still difficult to get over the fact that _Gary_ was that friend that she was grieving for, the very same guy that she had been in love with before him.

He tried very hard to fight the jealousy every day. Besides, he saw no reason to be jealous. May was showing a lot of concern for the brunette, yes—but he knew that she would have displayed the same amount of concern for any of her closet friends. He had no need to be jealous or to feel threatened by Gary because _he_ was the one that she had chosen in the end. Gary was nothing more than a friend, who had lost the only family member he had left. It was only natural that May would express a large amount of solicitude for her friend. He tried to convince himself of those facts.

Pallet Town slowly came into view from the bus windows, causing May's stomach to flutter with nervous anticipation. She could see Professor Oak's old lab, perched on its hilltop. Even from where the bus was, a good mile or so away from it, she could still feel the eerie, vacant vibe surrounding it. Without Professor Oak, it just looked like any other old lab, not the lab belonging to one of the world's most astounding pokémon professors.

May felt her chest constrict and she suddenly felt as if she were choking. Seeing this, Drew immediately reached out from where he sat beside her on the bus and squeezed her hand. It was meant to comfort her, but somehow, it just wound up making her hurt more. She barely managed to stop her face before it contorted into an expression of pain. Remarkably, though, she was able to keep the tears at bay.

The bus continued to drive through Pallet Town, which was unusually desolate and quiet. The death of the town's professor hit all of the local residents hard. Most of them had grown up with the professor living just a couple of blocks away from them, some of them even having gotten their first pokémon from him.

She herself had even received her Squirtle, who was now Wartortle, from him—that she wouldn't forget. His accomplishments and contributions to society were not exclusive to just Pallet Town; they extended and expanded out to every region in the world. His death didn't just make an impact on the people of Pallet; it made an impact on everyone throughout the entire world. Everyone honored his legacy and mourned his death in their own way.

The location of the funeral was finally reached about seven minutes after driving past Professor Oak's lab. The bus was nearly empty by the time they reached the town's cemetery, save for a few passengers, Drew, May, and the bus driver.

Drew stood up first in order to let May out from her seat by the window. Taking her hand in his, he towed her down the aisle of bus, looking over his shoulder at her every few seconds to see if she was okay. Every time he did so, he saw her staring out the window with a vacant expression on her face. The sight made his chest ache.

"Please send the young Professor Oak my condolences," the bus driver requested just as Drew and May reached the front of the bus.

He was a middle-aged man, with a receding hairline and dark brown beard, who wore the same, mournful expression that so many people had been wearing for the past few days. He was upset about the professor's death, too.

Drew nodded on both he and May's behalf.

"I will be sure to. Thank you," he said, and then led May off the bus.

Drew chose to remain quiet as he walked with May to the site of Professor Oak's funeral, but he had a feeling that she wouldn't even have noticed if he spoke to her or not. Her emotionless eyes were fixed straight ahead, each step that she took looking like that of a robot's. Again, Drew felt as if she wasn't really there. It was almost like her mind and soul left her body, making her nothing but an empty shell.

A mournful tune eventually reached the ears of Drew and May as they got nearer to the site of Professor Oak's funeral. May seemed to come alive at the sound and, as she and Drew stepped closer to the site, gradually released Drew's hand. Her action stung him a bit, causing his jaw to tighten, but they proceeded without interruption. They found a place beside May's family to stand and listened as the preacher spoke the prayers.

Despite being a world figure, Professor Oak had asked for a small funeral, a simple gathering of his closest friends. They were all gathered at the Pallet Town Cemetery that day, dressed in all black with a rose in each of their hands. They waited, most trying desperately not to cry, while others were already crying.

Delia Ketchum, May could see, was already dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, while Ash and Misty hugged her in an effort to comfort her. But it was obvious that both of them were trying to keep themselves from crying. Misty eventually failed, and Ash had to comfort her as well.

May recognized every person who was present at the funeral. Famous figures of the world like Lance, a renowned dragon-type pokémon master, and his cousin, Claire, the dragon-type gym leader of Blackthorn City; a couple other famous pokémon professors such as Professor Elm and Professor Carolina, who was also there with her granddaughter and the champion of the Sinnoh region's Elite Four, Cynthia; Professor Oak's last disciple, Leaf; and May's own friends.

Brock and his family made up the middle of the group, though Solidad was absent, so May assumed that she was probably at home with the twins. Brendan stood near the back with his parents, his father, Professor Birch, wearing an expression of anguish like the majority of the people were.

Jimmy and Marina were there as well, just as they promised, and were standing beside Professor Elm. Dawn, her mother, and Paul stood beside them. May was surprised to see the slightest bit of anguish in his normally emotionless eyes. The death of Samuel Oak hit people even harder than she had thought.

And then she brought her eyes up all the way to the front, where Gary stood. He was standing with his back facing her, dressed in an entirely black suit. His hands were crossed in front of him. He didn't speak, didn't move, just watched with a broken heart as his grandfather's coffin was gradually lowered into the ground, six feet below the surface.

When the dirt was finished being thrown back into the hole, each of the guests took their turns placing their rose on top of the grave. Gary added the last to add a rose to the top of the pile.

Everyone began to leave after that. Gary thanked them all for coming and they offered him their condolences before taking their leave. Leaf lingered behind after a majority of attendees left, but after Gary's insistence of wanting to be alone, she eventually took her leave as well. She walked past Drew and May as she left, and May could see that her eyes were rimmed red and that fresh tears were welling up.

May didn't need a mirror to know that her own eyes probably weren't any different.

Gary swallowed hard as he stuffed his hands into the pocket of his blazer. He looked around the cemetery, taking in the multitudinous amount of gravestones scattered about the vast piece of land. It was difficult to accept the grim fact that the cemetery would be his grandfather's permanent residence for eternity, right beside his mother and father, who had both died when he was very young in a devastating accident.

After a moment of mindless staring, his eyes eventually flickered back to the dismembering group of people who had come to pay their respects to his grandfather. He felt his heart stop when he met a pair of sapphire blue eyes.

May was suddenly taken over by an overwhelming urge to run into Gary's arms at that moment when their eyes met. Her breathing became uneven and her heart sped up in her chest.

Drew could feel the sudden shift in her mood and turned to look at her with a strained expression. She didn't even look at him; her eyes were locked with Gary's. Attempting to ignore the painful throbbing in his chest, he cleared his throat.

"I'll leave you alone with him," he told her.

May actually turned to look at him, pulling her eyes away from Gary's as Drew's words snapped her out of her state of awe.

"What?" she asked him.

"You do want some time to speak to him in private, don't you?" he asked her back, sadness lacing around the edges of his words.

May could only stare at him in disbelief; his generosity shocked her into momentary silence. Never in a million years would she have expected for _Drew_ to be offering to give her alone time with _Gary_. Especially when Drew was her _boyfriend_.

To her sudden loss of words, Drew simply gave her the tiniest hint of a smile.

"I'll meet you out in the parking lot," he said, and then pulled her into him.

Gary turned away right as Drew pulled May in to kiss her forehead. He couldn't bring himself to watch, feeling that his heart was enduring enough pain for one day. Instead, he turned his attention to his grandfather's grave. His eyes scanned the gravestone, reading the words inscribed into the rock.

A few moments later, he heard the grass crunching beneath a pair of feet, which eventually came up to his side. He didn't bother to glance over; he knew who the person was.

"I didn't think you would come," he admitted.

"Of course I would," May said. "How could I leave you at a time like this?"

The brunette seemed to ignore her question.

"I should have stayed with him," he expressed before taking in a deep breath to keep his voice from breaking. "I should have spent every moment of the last few days of his life with him. I should never have left his side."

"Don't blame yourself for that."

"How could I not? He was my only family left, and I left him when he needed me most. I only just managed to get back home in time before he died."

May bit down on her bottom lip, which had begun to quiver.

"Did he get to see you before he...before he went?" she asked hesitantly.

Gary nodded once, his face slowly contorting dolefully. "Miraculously, yes."

"Then he went in peace and without any regrets."

"Yes, but he left me behind, all alone."

May's heart went out for him at that moment when his mask finally crumbled and he truly let the pain take over. He began to shake violently and tears began to well in his eyes despite his best efforts to keep them from doing so. The death of his grandfather obviously struck him harder than anything ever had in his entire life.

"He was the only one in my family left, and he's gone," he said mournfully. "I have no one now."

"Yes, you do," May insisted, her eyes glossing over. "You still have me."

"No, I don't."

May was taken aback. "Wh-what?"

The brunette turned to meet her eyes with his sad ones. He looked absolutely miserable as he said, "I don't have you anymore. I lost you months ago when I let you go. What I told you at the party was a lie—my insecurities weren't what kept me from trying to convince you to stay, it was my arrogance. I thought too highly of myself and didn't try to get you to stay because I honestly thought that you would decide to stay on your own—for me. I never thought that you would actually go through with traveling with Drew.

"I took you for granted. I thought too highly of myself and overestimated my significance in your life. I loved you so much, but I took you for granted and thought that I didn't need to tell you about my feelings to have you. I thought that you would be the one to pursue me, because all my life, I was the one being pursued, not the one doing the pursuing."

Again, May got that same feeling of déjà vu. She had heard words similar to the ones that Gary had just spoken before, and ironically, Drew had been the one to say them. And she was once again dumbfounded by Gary's confession—his second one in the past two weeks. It was a new year, but why was she learning about the past?

Gary seemed to take her silence as a sign to go on, to confess something else to her.

"The worst part is, I wanted to tell you about my feelings so badly, too," he confessed. "I even got close to it at your prom, but I didn't—I held back when I found you dancing with Drew. And when you told me about the wager between you two and when you actually left with him, I was stunned. Completely stunned and completely heartbroken—I just couldn't believe that you actually left with him.

"I eventually became too full of myself again, though, after the few times that you called me. I sought comfort in the fact that you seemed reluctant and unsatisfied the few times that you called me on your journey, as if the bet between the two of you was the only thing that forced you to go. I know you, and I know that you never go back on your word, so I actually believed that I had nothing to worry about because you were simply forced to travel with him. I thought that he couldn't possibly replace me and that you would always love me. So, when I received the invitation for Ash and Misty's wedding, I told myself that I would tell you that I love you and then, you would finally have the push that you needed to break away from him.

"But I overestimated myself again. I really thought that I was that important to you that no one would pose a threat to me—not even a guy who was by your side for every minute of every hour of every day for weeks. And in the end, reality proved me wrong. I saw you two together at the wedding and immediately realized that I was _too late_. I let my arrogance get the best of me, I waited too long, and I lost you. I love you so much, and I lost you."

Tears were leaving wet trails down May's cheeks by the time he was finished talking. It was all so overwhelming, just too damn overwhelming. The truth was was just too crippling, making it hard for her to breathe. Her breathing became labored and she felt like falling down with the way that her head was spinning. She wanted to smack him and yell at him at that moment for being so arrogant and for waiting so long.

But she also wanted to throw her arms around him, too. She wanted to throw her arms around him and have him embrace her. She wanted to go back in history and redo the past couple months of their life. She wanted to go back and do everything differently.

Unfortunately, history was already set in stone—unchangeable, immutable. And quite frankly, as she thought about it further, she wasn't even sure if she wanted it to change anymore.

If she changed the past couple months in their lives then what would that mean for her and Drew? Didn't she still love him? Why did she even want to change the past if she still loved him?

And why was she suddenly feeling so confused about him, about Gary?

Unable to think of any suitable answers for her questions, she pushed the thoughts aside for the moment. She had to focus on the task at hand—comforting Gary. After swallowing hard and choking back a sob, she told him, "No, you didn'tI'm still here. You didn't lose me."

"Yes, I did," Gary insisted, his voice breaking slightly as his hands clenched into fists at his side. "I lost my grandfather, and I lost you, too." The tears in his eyes began to fall, and his voice dropped down to a whisper. "Why is it that everyone I love has to leave me?"

May reached out to grip his arm as his pain reached out and gripped her. His pain was her pain; she felt it like it was a tangible object. For every tear that he shed, she matched it with her own.

"No, you didn't," she told him, her voice breaking as well. "You never lost me—I'm still here, I'm still with you. You still have me." She took a deep breath. "You'll always have me."

Gary turned to her completely then, and her hand trailed down his arm to his hand. She took it in hers as their eyes met, sapphire locking with black. They were both crying softly as she opened her mouth to reassure him once again.

"You'll never lose me."

The next thing happened without warning.

Gary suddenly wrapped his arms around May's waist, pulling her into him before desperately pressing his lips to hers. She didn't even yelp or push away. Instead, she slid her hands up his back to grip his shoulders, pulling him closer to her as he kissed her.

Then, she was kissing him back. Both of them kissed one another with a sense of desperation, pouring all of their emotions instead one kiss. They held onto each other as if their lives depended on it. Tears continued to fall down May's cheeks as she kissed him back.

Something in the back of their minds told them that they needed to stop, immediately. But neither of them were able to do so. They just couldn't pull away. An invisible force pulled them in and bound them together, rendering it impossible to separate until every emotion in their bodies was drained.

And both of them were completely oblivious to the guy who was watching them from afar, his mouth slightly agape as he took in the scene.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Uh oh, May and Gary kissed—and a guy saw them! Who was watching them? It's probably a lot more unexpected than you think, but you'll find out who next chapter. Hopefully, I'll be able to update next weekend on time, because I'll be leaving you guys with one heck of a cliffhanger for a long time. I can't make any promises, though, because I don't know if I'll be able to update at all in the next month, but I swear that I will try my absolute hardest to do so! If everything works out and I actually end up being able to update on time every weekend, then the day I get back will be the day that I post the final chapter. Please bear with me until then. I really swear that I will do all that I can to update. Thank you for reading so far; please review! I love you all my readers! :)

Oh, don't think this is the end of Drew and May. It's going to cause a lot of damage, yes, but just keep in mind that this _is_ a Contestshipping fic. You'll see what I'm going to do in the last five chapters. Also, May _will_ be telling Drew everything that has happened between her and Gary in the next chapter, for those of you who have been wanting her to. Just getting that out there!


	36. Obligation to Fulfill

**Update July 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>Well, what do you know? I'm actually updating! Thank god I can actually update! I was seriously scared that I wouldn't have been able to for the entire month. Phew! :D Please send some reviews for this lovely relief?<p>

Oh, and I'd like to thank you for helping me reach 800 reviews! What a great going away present; you guys are the absolute best! Hugs for you all. I still enjoy reading every review 'til this day, so please keep them coming! :)

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>torchicbaby xox:<strong>__ I don't think they're all that great, but they just pop into my head I guess. xD Glad to know you think they are, though! Thanks!  
><em>_**PorcelainDollxx:**__ Haha, well, it was the earliest that I have ever updated on a Saturday in a while. xD I'm so relieved that I can actually update here!  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ Lol, aw! Sorry! I didn't mean to bring you onto the verge of tears. :P  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ Thank you so much! Haha, Paul may or not just be the guy who was watching them. :)  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Nope! It doesn't make you cold-hearted! I updated on time, eh? I wonder if I'll be able to keep this up until I get back from my vacation. :D  
><em>_**animeartist123:**__ Lol! Sorry, but thanks!  
><em>_**theasianwonder:**__ Hahaha! I just thought it'd be a good drama builder! xD You'll see who it was!  
><em>_**Inkorporated:**__ Haha, aw Samia! You just make me want to hug you! xD I'm having a good day so far since I just got here, but I had the worst flight. Motion sickness, delay, bad appetite...you name it. :P  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ I'd like to say something about Gary's happy ending, but I don't want to spoil anything or bring up something that isn't set in stone. I'll just let your mind ponder over that, because I'm a mean person. :) Lol! Autocorrect's the funniest! Thanks!  
><em>_**lyrical-harmonies:**__ Are you a fortune teller? O_O  
><em>_**Random Reviewer:**__ You'll just have to wait and see! Just keep in mind that this _is_ a _Contest_shipping fic, sweetheart!  
><em>_**paarkhyunjae:**__ Haha, I feel like Jimmy would make an even bigger mess of things. xD  
><em>_**One Psychotic Girl:**__ Hm...  
><em>_**Catrina7077:**__ Haha, thank you!  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ My summer vacation officially starts in another two days, but since I took the last week off for vacation, I suppose it already started for me. :P Lol! Tell you what, if I do manage to get some inspiration and I do get a good response to write a sequel, I just might. :) Thank you very much!  
><em>_**Pokemaster:**__ Well, since you were hiding, how would she have seen you? ;D  
><em>_**DrewXMay:**__ Thank you! You'll see soon enough. :)  
><em>_**61wisampa:**__ This _is_ a _Contest_shipping fic! It will end in Contestshipping, even if there are a few bumps and holes along the way. ;D  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Hehe. Could you throw potatoes instead of tomatoes? They're close enough, but so much yummier. I could make French fries for the two of us to share. P:  
><em>_**torchicbaby xox:**__ Haha, the drama will start to dwindle starting this chapter. I only have four chapters left, after all. :P  
><em>_**rose emotions:**__ I'll try my best to update on time every weekend like I usually do! I have all the chapters written, so I'm ready in case that's possible!  
><em>_**contestshippingprincess:**__ Nope! The drama will start to dwindle down after this chapter since we only have four left! I just needed some drama to build up a climax and leave a crazy cliffhanger. xD  
><em>_**xDragonairx:**__ I'm sorry! I didn't think I'd make anyone cry—just angry! LOL! I would _hope_ I don't have to take until the end of winter to finish up this story, considering I already finished the rest of the chapters! xD  
><em>_**BlueJeanne:**__ Everyone was a lot less angrier than I thought they would be. Hehe, thanks! :)  
><em>_**shanasakura-scarlet21:**__ Haha, I know right? I always told myself that I would update _right _on Satuday, and not half an hour or so into Sunday, but that never worked out. Hopefully now, that I have all the chapters written out and ready to be uploaded, they'll get up on _Saturday_. xD  
><em>_**leontinees:**__ Good bet! It wasn't him! Thank you so much! Thankfully, I'm still able to update here. Let's see how next week goes!  
><em>_**Liellana:**__ HAHAHAHAHA! :D  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ I was just in Singapore earlier on today! My plane stopped there before flying into where I am now in Asia. Beautiful country, it is. Absolutely gorgeous! Thanks!  
><em>_**MuffinzRule:**__ Hm, that is a very logical way of thinkiing about it! I feel like if I were in your shoes (reading the story; _not_ writing it) I'd be feeling the same way. However, May doesn't necessarily have a history in this story either, and Drew _has_ changed in character. Remember how he was in the beginning? :P  
><em>_**Anonymous:**__ Thank you!  
><em>_**DracoBlitzen:**__ I've found myself dealing with some depression this year, and the only advice that I can give you is to find someone you trust. Like,_ really_ trust_, _so that you can just vent to them. It's always nice to have someone there to listen to you; gets a lot off your chest, you know? I couldn't agree more with what you said. If a guy is worth your tears, then he wouldn't even make you cry in the first place unless they're tears of joy. Kate Voegele is amazing. _Only Fooling Myself_ is still my favorite song by her 'til this day! I'm an avid reader, too! I'll be sure to check out that trilogy (along with the other trillions of books that I still have to read lol) after I get back to the states. Thanks for the suggestion. :) P.S. I definitely _won't_ be discontinuing this story, lol, considering that I already have all the chapters finished! All I have to do now is update every weekend until it's over. ;)  
><em>_**KanamexYuuki fan:**__ Good guess. :)_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 36<strong>

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><p>Guilt flooded May the instant she pulled away from Gary after they both lost their breaths in the heated kiss. She couldn't believe that she had just kissed another guy, while her boyfriend was waiting right outside in the cemetery parking lot. No acts of betrayal that she had carried out in her lifetime could have surpassed the level of betrayal that she had just reached.<p>

She had committed the ultimate crime in a relationship: she cheated on her boyfriend. She cheated on _Drew_ with _Gary_.

She could not believe it. How could she possibly have cheated on her boyfriend, when the act was against all of the morals that she stood for? Drew didn't deserve what she had just done to him, when all he had ever done for her was be caring and considerate. He had never intentionally done anything to hurt her and had been nothing but a great boyfriend to her.

And what did she do to repay him? She went ahead and cheated on him. She was never going to forgive herself for what she had just did. If the ground beneath her would open up and swallow her, she would be grateful. Thankful even.

Gary appeared to be dumbfounded. His own actions had shocked him and the kiss had stunned him speechless. He honestly never expected to kiss her—never even _planned_ on kissing her at his grandfather's funeral.

What would his grandfather think of him? Samuel Oak had certainly not raised him to come in between two people in a relationship, especially when one of those people was his best friend. It was wrong, and he knew it. Remorse fell on top of the grief that he was feeling and strengthened the misery that plagued his mind.

But he couldn't get over the fact that May had kissed him back. Rather than push him away like she could've—and should've—she had pulled him closer and held onto him like her life depended on it. She had definitely poured her heart out into the kiss. Her desperation had not been inconspicuous; she had wanted to kiss him as much as he wanted to kiss her.

What did that mean for their relationship now?

"Gary, Leaf was looking for you," said someone suddenly.

Both Gary and May leapt in the air. Their hearts accelerated and began to pound wildly against their chests. They turned their heads to look at the person who had come up to them. May didn't know if she needed to be relieved or not upon seeing that the guy was not Drew.

Ash Ketchum stood before them, making May's eyes widen slightly. His anguish was perfectly concealed behind a stern mask, though the disapproval in his eyes was clear.

At that moment, she immediately knew that he had seen everything. He looked at her shortly before shooting his eyes over to Gary.

"Leaf's looking for you," he repeated. "She's in the parking lot."

The brunette seemed to struggle with something momentarily. Words were lost on his tongue as he tightened his jaw. Unable to look into Ash's eyes, he directed his over to meet May's eyes.

He wasn't surprised to see the fright in the sapphire orbs, but it still pained him. She said nothing to him, only shot her eyes in between him and Ash.

After another moment, he turned to nod at Ash, shoved his hands into the pockets of his black suit and walked away.

Ash watched Gary walk away, as if he wanted to make sure that the brunet was really heading to the parking lot. When he was assured, he turned back to the other brunette and studied her with his eyes. Disapproval still clouded them, but there was also something else, too. Concern.

"I came to tell you that Drew was going to head back home with us. He wanted me to tell you to meet him there after you were finished speaking to Gary," he informed her.

May's bottom lip began to quiver and she didn't make an effort to stop it. She let it quiver, just as she let the tears spill from her face. She felt horrible in that moment, absolutely horrible. Words could not describe how remorseful and how utterly afflicted she was. She cried openly for Ash to see.

"Did you see what I think you saw?" she asked him, her voice mutated by the choking she did on her sobs.

Ash nodded once. "Yes."

She didn't hold back after that. She let out every cry inside her and shed every single tear until she could no longer do either things.

Ash held her to him the entire time, trying to soothe her by holding her close and rubbing circles on her back, but it was of little use. She kept sobbing and insisting that she was a horrible person—that she would never forgive herself. By the time her crying subsided, ten minutes had passed.

"Don't cry anymore, May," he murmured. "Shh, don't cry. It'll be okay."

"No, it won't. What am I going to do, Ash?" she asked him, her voice weak and hoarse from all of the crying that she had done. She felt completely drained as she rested her head in the crook of his neck.

"You need to work this out," he replied, his hand rubbing up and down her arm.

"How do I do that?"

"First off, you need to tell Drew."

May immediately pulled away from him to stare into his eyes in fright. "I can't do that!"

"Yes, you can—and you have to," he insisted sternly. "You owe it to him to let him know. It's better to get it done and over with now instead of waiting. What's going to happen when he finds out days, weeks, or even months from now? Not telling him won't make the situation any better—it'll only make it worse. You need to do it, May."

"But what if he hates me? What if he breaks up with me? What if—"

"May, there's no way for sure you'll know what he'll do," Ash interrupted. "No one can predict the future; it'll always be unknown. But he won't hate you—I know that for a fact. He loves you too much to hate you—and that gives you all the more reason to tell him. He deserves to know, and it'll do the both of you more good if you let him know sooner rather than later. If you were in his shoes, you'd want to know right now, too."

May sniffled and wiped away a fresh tear that fell down her face. She hated herself so much at that moment.

"I can't believe I let this happen," she whispered.

"It's going to be okay, May," Ash assured. "But you need to take responsibility for your action. It's only right."

May showed some hesitation and reluctance to do so. She was scared—downright scared of what was ahead of her. Ash was right; she needed to tell Drew, but she was terrified of his reaction. There were so many possibilities for how he would react. He could be extremely angry, furious, completely irrational and terrible...or worse—he could be completely devastated.

May could take any anger thrown her way, but she honestly couldn't say how she would take it if she hurt Drew enough to devastate him. She didn't want to hurt him. She really didn't want to hurt him.

"Alright. Let's go," she eventually mumbled to Ash, who offered her a sympathetic hug, and walked her out to the parking lot.

Drew was waiting outside the Ketchums' car, his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the trunk. Misty and Delia were waiting inside, the former sitting in the back, while the latter sat in the passenger seat, dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief.

They didn't hear or see May approach due to the fact that the windows were up, but Drew immediately saw her. After taking in her red-rimmed eyes and broken facial expression, he hurried over to her.

"May! Are you alright?" he asked her worriedly.

May took in a shaky breath before doing her best to give him a smile, but it came out slightly unconvincing.

"Yeah," she lied. "Let's go."

Ash got into the driver's seat as May and Drew entered the back. May sat in between Drew and Misty and fiddled with her thumbs for the entire ride back to the Ketchums' house, her nerves building with each passing minute.

The action didn't go by unnoticed by Drew, who longed to ask what was wrong with her. He had a feeling that her unusual behavior didn't have to do entirely with Professor Oak's death. She was extremely nervous, and unusually so. One could see her anxiety from a mile away, especially since she was usually so collected and cheerful.

But he refrained from asking her for the sake of the Ketchums, much to May's relief.

When they reached the house, Delia immediately went off to cook dinner for the lot of them. She had insisted that everyone must have been hungry, but Ash could see that his mother just wanted something to do to get her mind off of Professor Oak, whom she had been great friends with. She was clearly upset over the death, and Ash knew that it would be a while until she would be able to get over it.

Even Mimey appeared to feel its owner's mood, and took it upon itself to be upset as well.

May picked at her food with her fork after Delia placed the plate in front of her on the kitchen table. The food looked enticing, but she had no appetite. Whenever she managed to get some of it into her mouth, it was only a morsel that she moved around in her mouth for a while before she actually swallowed. And she spoke very few words throughout the course of dinner, as did everyone else.

Drew eyed her occasionally with concern throughout the whole meal, wondering what had gotten into her. He wanted so badly to ask her what was wrong throughout the entire time, but he managed to hold in the questions until the end of the night. They were almost finished with getting ready for bed by the time he confronted her in the guest room that they were sharing.

"May, what's wrong?" he asked softly, sitting down beside her on the bed as she took off her slippers.

May leapt slightly at the question and accidentally kicked a slipper away from the bed. She eyed it before looking over at Drew nervously. He was boring into her eyes with his, and she was suddenly filled with dread after realizing that it was time for her confession. She slowly opened her mouth, finding it incredibly difficult to form words on her tongue, and left it slightly agape. When she finally spoke, she practically stuttered.

"I–I have something to tell you, but I don't know how you're going to take it," she said, but afterward, she couldn't bring herself to get the rest out. How could she possibly tell her boyfriend that she had cheated on him?

Drew only made it harder for her when he supportively rubbed her arm. He gave her an encouraging smile, urging her to go on.

"It's okay—just tell me," he urged. "How bad could it be?"

_Bad, extremely bad_, May thought to herself, but she bit her lip to keep from saying the words out loud.

The action only served as a reminder that Gary had kissed the same exact lip only hours before. She decided then and there that she needed to get the words out immediately. Ash was right; Drew deserved to know. Even if it was the hardest thing that she ever had to do in her entire lifetime, she needed to do it. She needed to let Drew know what she did. What she and Gary did.

"It's about Gary," she confessed.

Drew's entire face visibly tightened and his eyes smoldered.

"Well, I'm sure it can't be that bad," he managed to force out, even though he didn't like her tone. "Let's hear it."

May took a deep breath.

"I kissed him," she admitted.

There was an unbearable silence that ensued after May got the words out. She felt guilt engulf her and grief overtake her.

She did it. She told Drew.

But he wasn't reacting. He wasn't screaming, wasn't yelling, wasn't lashing out at her—nothing. He just looked at her, his emerald green eyes flickering all over her face as if he were looking for any signs that meant she was lying, joking even.

When he found none, he felt like exploding.

"What?" he demanded, his voice remarkably calm despite his mood.

May felt her heart pound and her head spin at the tension in the air. She sucked in another deep breath before she repeated, "I kissed him."

Another moment of silence followed after May's repetition.

Drew looked away and licked his lips, trying to suppress the anger that was boiling to the surface inside him. He didn't want to explode—not yet. May watched anxiously as he eventually looked back at her.

"Did you initiate it?" he asked.

"No! Absolutely not!"

"But you didn't push him away either."

May dropped her eyes in shame and bit down on her quivering bottom lip. She shook her head.

"No," she answered softly.

"Did you kiss him back?"

May could only nod once.

Drew inhaled deeply through his nose, holding back the acrimony rising up his throat. "Why did he kiss you?"

"I...I don't know..."

"So, he just kissed you without any type of motivation to do so?" he demanded, finally unable to keep the anger out of his voice. "I doubt he would have kissed you if you didn't give him the inclination that it was okay to do it."

"No, it wasn't like that!" May exclaimed, shifting on the bed so that she faced him, her eyes wide with fright.

"Then, what _was_ it like?" he accidentally barked.

May flinched at his tone and her voice dropped to a whisper. "I told him...that he never lost me."

Drew tightened his jaw. "In what sense?"

"I honestly don't know," May muttered, nearly on the verge of crying. "He was telling me that he lost everyone that he loves—including me—so I told him that he never lost me."

"Wait—he said he lost everyone that he loves?" Drew interrupted, as dumbfounded as he was angry. "He told you that he loves you?"

"Yes."

"And this was after the funeral?"

"After the funeral," May confirmed, and then added, "And before it."

"Before it? What do you mean _before it_?"

"He told me that he loved me at the New Year's Eve party."

"The New Year's Eve party?" Drew repeated, confused as to how Gary could have told her at the party.

But then everything clicked—her long trip to the bathroom, her strange mood afterward. His mouth fell slightly agape as realization dawned on him.

"That's what you were so upset about, wasn't it?" he asked. "He was there. He told you."

May nodded solemnly, looking down in shame once again. But when Drew suddenly pushed himself off the bed, she snapped her eyes up in shock.

"Damn it, May! You told me that you didn't feel anything for him anymore!" he nearly shouted at her.

"I don't!" she tried to exclaim. "I mean, I—"

"Yes, you do!" Drew cut off, his voice completely raised by that point. "You obviously do still feel something for him considering how much it affected you! Did you even see yourself after you came back from the bathroom? There's no way in hell that you don't feel anything for him if he affected you like that! And you definitely wouldn't have kissed him back after the funeral! How the hell could you do that to me?"

"Oh my Arceus," May breathed, shaking her head in disbelief as she realized that he was right.

He was absolutely right—she _did_ feel something for Gary, as much as she loathed to admit it. She let her mouth hang open as she tried to process the truth through her mind. After it did, she met Drew's eyes with the utmost remorse.

"Oh my Arceus...Drew, I'm so sorry," she apologized, unable to think of any other words to say.

"I don't want to hear it," he interrupted. "I just want to hear one thing: do you still love me?"

May nodded frantically, tears filling her eyes.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "Yes, I love you, Drew! I—"

"Do you love _him_?"

Silence filled the air.

May left her mouth open as she tried to come up with her answer. She didn't know—she honestly didn't know. Her eyes went off to the right wall of the room, as if she would find the answer there.

Meanwhile, Drew just shook his head. From her loss for words, he already had his answer. She still loved Gary, even if she didn't know or refused to accept the fact.

His clenched fists were shaking violently, and he was trying so hard not to hit something. He didn't want to believe it—absolutely refused to believe that his girlfriend had cheated on him with a guy that she had claimed she had no more feelings for.

How could everything go from being so right one day to completely wrong the next? How pathetically stupid of him to think that things would actually get along flawlessly with her. How incredibly foolish and naïve. He felt like the biggest idiot in the world.

"I need to be alone right now," he said through clenched teeth.

Without bothering to see or hear her response, he turned around and stomped out of the room. It took all of his willpower not to slam the door behind him.

The tears poured out of May's eyes like blood from a wound. She messed up, completely messed up everything. Drew had never been anything less than a perfect boyfriend to her, and she repaid him by cheating on him.

She turned and lay flat on the bed, burying her face into a pillow and weeping into it. She wished she could suffocate herself at that moment; it seemed like the only way to fix the problems that she had created. Or cry herself senseless, so that she didn't have to felt the guilt and pain that tortured her.

But what right did she have to be spared from the agony after all that she did to Drew?

Ash and Misty eventually went upstairs to the guest room to check up on her. They hadn't heard the argument, but they concluded that something must have happened between the young couple after they saw Drew practically storm down the stairs.

Ash, of course, knew what the possible cause of his anger was. It was confirmed when Drew just told them briskly, "I don't want to talk about it. Go ask May if you want to hear the story."

They stayed down in the living room for a while after Drew took his leave. Misty was confused by his words, so Ash had to explain the situation to her. After that, they needed to discuss their next course of action, what they could do to help repair the damage inflicted on Drew and May's relationship.

If there was even a relationship left.

They also wanted to give May some time to herself, but by the time they decided get upstairs to talk to her, she had already fallen asleep. They tucked her in and closed the curtains over the window, hoping to at least give her some comfort in her sleep.

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><p>May woke up the next morning and found that she had cried, even in her sleep. Her pillow was soaked, and the dried tears on her face stuck her hair to her cheek.<p>

The sunlight that seeped in through the crack of the curtains over the window lit up the room enough for her to see that Drew was no where to be seen.

At first, she thought that he just hadn't returned from wherever he went the night before. But when she saw that his bag was missing, she knew that that wasn't the case.

Panicked, she immediately threw the covers off of herself. Her feet hit something plush and soft, and she slipped them into her slippers. It was then that she remembered how she had accidentally kicked one away from the bed the night before. Drew must have brought it back over to the side of the bed for her.

Her heart gave a painful throb in her chest when she thought about how much she had hurt him when all he had ever been was be considerate. He was still able to do something for her even when he was angry at her. How could she ever hurt him the way that she did?

Where had he gone?

Standing up from the bed, she ran a hand through her hair as tears began to flood her eyes. She looked around the room, as if he would suddenly turn up if she looked hard enough.

But she didn't find him. The only thing that she found was a note lying on one of the end tables on either sides of the bed, which hadn't been there the night before. Thinking that Drew must have left it, she immediately went to pick it up and read it.

After she finished scanning through the words on the paper, she dropped to the ground and buried her face in her knees, thoroughly soaking the fabric of her pants as she allowed the tears to spill over.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Oh no. Drew left May! Dx Where has he gone? What will happen? Yeah, you'll find all of that out in the last four chapters. Don't fret guys; this is only just the climax. Remember: keep in mind that this is a Contestshipping fic. :) Please review? Thanks for reading!


	37. Deciphering the Heart

**Update August 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p><strong>READ THIS ONLY IF YOU THINK MY PLOT SHARES SOME SIMILARITIES WITH <strong>**_TWILIGHT...or if you're interested enough :P  
><em>**I'd like to clarify something—or some_things_, I suppose. I had two reviewers point out to me that my plot shares some similarities with _Twilight_. The similarities that were pointed out to me included: the love triangle involving May, Drew, and Gary; "all the guys" pining after May; and May's seemingly "flawless" personality. I agree, now that I've had those pointed out to me, I do see _slight_ similarities, but they're so minor that you can barely pinpoint them yourselves. Let me just point out the _major differences_ between _my_ story and _Twilight_.

Now, I haven't read _Twilight_ in an extremely long time (since not too long after the first movie came out, I believe) so the plots of the books are a bit blurry to me. But what I can draw from the movies: May and Bella are nearly _complete_ opposites. I've portrayed May as a playful, witty, and kind-hearted girl. While Bella may be kind-hearted, she's not very witty and—well, let's face it—_not _fun at all (but then again, that may just be Kristen Stewart's acting...no offense or anything). And May is definitely _not_ flawless; she has her flaws. Sometimes she's bratty, sometimes she's dramatic. Bella's just...kind of somber...all the time.

And not _all_ the guys are or have pined after May; there were only three guys. In reality (aka, the real world), more than two guys going after one girl _is_ a possiblity, so that's hardly a cliché—and Gary didn't even reveal that he had feelings for May until just recently! Brendan backed out on his own, and Gary and Drew _never_ fought against one another directly for May the way that Jacob and Edward did for Bella. Jacob acted like a jerk to Bella, and Edward confronted him about it—something that Gary _never_ did to May and something that Drew _never_ did to Gary. Even the way that May and Gary kissed are entirely different from the two times that Bella and Jacob kissed. Besides, May _never_ asked him to.

Basically, Drew (all along) and Brendan (shortly) were the only ones who put forth any effort to go after May, but even they didn't have a direct conflict. Gary didn't even try to pursue her until the recent chapters. And the ways that he tried barely count since they were such weak attempts.

So, with those things said, do you see the differences? I sincerely hope you do, because they're clear as day to me.

Don't get me wrong, I mean no offense to Stephenie Meyer with any of this, but I just really wanted to clarify that _Twilight_ really was the furthest thing from my mind when I came up with the ideas for this story. _Twilight_ was a good story, but my story is nearly entirely different from it. With those things said, I'd like to thank you for reading this excessively long note. I'm really sorry about the length :\ but if you chose to read it all the way through, surely you were interested?

Wish you some happy reading, please leave a review when you're finished. Thank you kindly. :)

_**Responses to**_** Reviews...  
><strong>_**Claudette14:**__ Well, you can't help who you love, can you? :)  
><em>_**Acetrainer77:**__ Thanks, sweetheart!  
><em>_**Random Reviewer:**__ HAHAHAHA! Sorry! I only update on Saturdays! xD  
><em>_**Anonymous:**__ THANKS!  
><em>_**61wisampa:**__ I'm an evil person. :3 Don't worry, though—I_ will_fix this...soon enough. :)  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Well, I'm updating! :D It's going pretty good! Aside from the large cockroach that decided to appear in the bathroom while I was butt naked and taking a shower, and the medium-sized one that fell from the ceiling and died when I walked through the door... Freakin' cockroaches and their random appearances in a normally cockroach-free house. I will remain traumatized for life. -_-  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ I'm a sap, too!  
><em>_**theasianwonder: **__Lol! Same! I know guys who would have went to Gary and pummeled the heck out of him!  
><em>_**dorkyreader859: **__Thank you!  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Don't worry—I never leave you guys with a cliffhanger for long! xD By the way, if you don't mind me asking, whatever happened to your story? The one you wrote that was _Teen Titans_-esque? I've been wanting to read it. :(  
><em>_**Inkorporated:**__ Don't worry—I won't shun you if you don't shun me because I don't think I'll be able to respond to your PM until I get back to the states. For some reason, the laptop I'm using won't show the words that I type everytime I try to respond to your message! Maybe it'll work eventually, but for now, I doubt it. :\ Hahahaha, oh Alta. I wish I could've included more cameos of her in this fic; she was fun to portray. :P  
><em>_**Otaku25:**__ Thank you so much for everything you said! You're such a sweetie! It's reviewers like you that get me to update every week, regardless of the fact that I'm on vacation! :D  
><em>_**PorcelainDollxx:**__ I wouldn't be me if I didn't write a heckful of drama. :)  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ It's okay! How was camp? :) Thanks!  
><em>_**lyrical-harmonies:**__ Cousins, eh? Haha, I've never pictured them as relatives, but now that you've mentioned it, their personalities are actually quite similar. :)  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ Well, the guy _is_ pretty thick sometimes, but we've all got to give him credit. He was the main character in the anime that made up our childhoods. :) I wish that sometimes, too. He and Drew both—and May, too. :(  
><em>_**KittyRin:**__ It will, don't fret. :) Well, thank _you_ for the review! I did not mean to rhyme, by the way. That was a mere coincidence. :D  
><em>_**KanamexYuuki fan:**__ ...holy crap. That was...phenomenal, especially for something you thought of in just five minutes. I wish I could think of a plot like that that quickly. :O I probably would have used that plot if I hadn't already written out the final four chapters! Good job!  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Gosh, it's hot where I am now, too! It wasn't that hot in Singapore when I was there because I landed just before the sun rose, and since I was inside the airport for the entire time, I didn't get a chance to feel the weather. But I got to ride one of those cool skytrains! At least, I think that's what it was called. It took me to the next terminal so that I could get on my flight to where I am now. :) I hate the heat...  
><em>_**DracoBlitzen:**__ I love you, too, honey! And thank you for asking! My depression is getting worse because of a few problems that have arised, I'm afraid, but I suppose it's under control...I think. :\ The States are pretty cool! I like living there, though I wouldn't mind getting a chance to visit Australia, either. What's it like there, besides laidback? :P ...too late, that's all I've been eating—and I have in fact gotten diarrhea. :( It's pretty simple! Just make an account, click "Publish", click "Doc Manager (Upload)", upload the document, and then click "New Story". The rest should be fairly easy to figure out. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me. Just be sure to pay back my favor by telling me when you upload your story so that I can (hopefully) be the first to read and review it, sunshine. :)  
><em>_**meh:**__ Lol, please read the author's note I wrote above if you haven't already. That should hopefully clear everything up for you. My story is no where near _Twilight_. :P  
><em>_**Live. backwards:**__ Please read my author's note above...  
><em>_**FlygonFan: **__Hahaha, you're such a silly goose! :D  
><em>_**mudkip lover:**__ Thank you so much, darling!  
><em>_**Pokemaster: **__He's alive! Only in the anime... :P  
><em>_**parkhyunjae:**__ I'm actually planning out two or three stories! I have most of the plots down, so after they're complete, I'll try to see if I can find the inspiration to get started on the writing. For the time being, I only have a oneshot near completion. Should be up sometime this week. Keep your eye out for it if you'd like to read it. Pretty please promise (hooray for alliteration!) to review if you do? :P  
><em>_**SpikEarPichu'sTrainer:**__ You're so silly, sunshine. :)_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 37<strong>

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><p><em>Dear May,<em>

_By the time that you are reading this, I probably have already left Pallet Town and well on my way to Vermillion to get on the next ferry to LaRousse City._

_I left, because I just don't know how I'm supposed to face you right now. I need some time to myself, just to think about this. And now, since you were so honest with me, I'm going to be honest with you._

_I'm angry—that much is clear—and I won't lie and say that I'm not. I have never felt so betrayed in my entire life. I never expected for you to cheat on me, and the fact that you did hurts like hell. This must be the sixtieth time that I've asked myself this all night: how could you do that to me?_

_I still don't have an answer to that question._

_Honestly, I have never been more angry at you than at the moment when I found out—I was so angry with you for what you did. But now, after thinking about it, I realized that you weren't entirely the one to blame. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame Gary, either_

_You can't help who you love, May, and I can't blame him for loving you—just like I can't blame you for loving him. He has been such an important person in your life since you were twelve, and you were practically in love with him since then, even long after I came in the picture. It's hard to forget a love that's been around for that long—seven years is a long time. And though you say that you love me, that love hasn't even come close to a year yet. How could it compare?_

_But I haven't stopped loving you—I don't think that fact will change for a while, even if this is the end between us. Like I told you before, I fell for you the moment I first met you. I'm so sorry for leaving so abruptly. I never meant to hurt you last night, and I hope you can forgive me._

_Unfortunately, I won't be able to see you until you decide who it is that you want most. You need some time to reach that decision, and I need some time to myself. Until you do, I won't be contacting you. I just can't speak to you until you make your choice._

_When you do reach your decision—whenever that may be—be sure to let me know. If you want to tell me in person, you know how to find me. I'll be waiting for you until then._

_Love always,_  
><em>Drew<em>

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><p>The first time May read the letter, it was mid-January. By the time she was folding up the letter for the fifty-second time, it was nearing the end of February.<p>

She ran the paper in between her thumb and index finger, folding along the lines that had become worn from being folded and unfolded too many times. Once every crease was completely folded down, she tucked the letter away into the case with her contest ribbons, which hadn't received a new addition since Christmas.

Ever since Drew left, she hadn't even left Pallet Town, let alone enter any contests. She simply didn't have the motivation to participate in a contest when she had so much going on in her life.

Her boyfriend—who she wasn't even sure was still her boyfriend or not—was all the way in a different region, while her best friend—whom she had kissed at his grandfather's funeral while she was _sure_ that her boyfrind was still her boyfriend—was still getting over the loss of his grandfather. She had been visiting him at Professor Oak's old lab every day since his grandfather's funeral.

Every time she was there, he was either occupying himself with the work that he had to take over for his grandfather, or tending to the pokémon that had been left in his grandfather's care. He seemed to be coping well enough with his grandfather's death—at least around her.

He always put on a strong façade for her whenever she was there, pretending to be alright when in reality, he wasn't. She had had a feeling his cheery mood was only skindeep, and secretly watched him somedays before she made her presence known, just to see if she were correct. Each and every time she did, she proved herself right. He didn't smile when he wasn't around her and his eyes appeared more lost than she had ever seen them before.

It was heartbreaking, and even more so when she found herself wondering on some days why she was even visiting Gary on a daily basis when she really needed to be going to find Drew in LaRousse. He had left her a little over a month ago with nothing but a letter that she had read almost once every day of his absence. She had read it so much to the point where she practically memorized it word for word.

Despite this, she still felt her heart throb painfully. It made her so reprehensible to think that he was still able to offer such benevolence to her when she had done absolutely nothing to deserve it. He truly was a wonderful boyfriend, and instead of reimbursing him, she cheated on him.

And the sad part was, she still couldn't choose between him or Gary. She was making him wait for her.

How long would it be until he decided he had been waiting too long?

Sighing, she took her ribbons case and replaced it inside her bag, which was resting on the couch in the entrance room. Trying to push the thoughts out of her head, she headed out of the entrance room and down the hallway to the left.

She ran into a few of Professor Oak's old lab assistants, who all waved and smiled at her familiar face. She returned the friendly gestures as she walked past them, and made her way out to the back of the lab. A girl with brunette hair stood by the tall sliding doors that would lead outside to the fields.

"Hey, May," she greeted as she heard May approached.

May smiled at the girl, having gotten to know her better and befriend her over the past month, their similarity being their will to keep Gary as happy as he could possibly be.

"Hi, Leaf," she greeted back. "How's your day been going?"

"It's been going pretty great, May. What about you? There's some dinner in the kitchen if you're hungry."

"No, thanks—I already ate. Do you know where Gary is?"

Leaf nodded her head in the direction of the fields, frowning slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"He's outside taking care of some pokémon," she informed.

May stepped closer to the door to get a better look outside. Her eyes scanned the vast fields that were lit up by the setting sun, taking in the multifarious pokémon that were scattered about the land. They grouped together and stayed with their own kind, either grazing or frolicking about.

Off to the far east, a large pond was situated right outside the entrance of the dense forest that some pokémon temporarily inhabited. All the way on the opposite end of the land, multiple stables stood, housing a few of the rapidash and ponyta that had been dropped off by trainers. She had a feeling that she would find Gary there.

"I'm going to go find him," she told Leaf.

When the brunette nodded at her, she slid the door open and stepped out onto the lush grass of the field.

Various small pokémon scurried up to her as she made her way to the stables, including her own lillipup, the only pokémon she had brought with her from Lilycove. She had left the little pokémon at the lab the night before since she felt that it was probably lonely from the lack of pokémon interaction.

It waggled its tail at her and stuck out its tongue in an endearing way, causing her to smile and scoop it up into her arms. She carried it with her while she walked to the stables.

Gary appeared outside the stables, seeming to not have noticed her presence. He leapt over the fence that rimmed the stables ground, and headed over to the last of the ponyta that had been grazing outside. He placed a gentle hand on both of their necks and guided them into the direction of stables. They walked on either side of him and followed him as he led them through the gate.

May smiled at the gentleness that he displayed with the two pokémon.

"Need some help there?" she asked, making her presence known.

Gary looked up at the sound of her voice and his eyes zeroed in on her. A bright smile immediately lit up his face.

"I don't need any help, but some company wouldn't hurt," he responded.

May chuckled and hurried over to his side. She followed him as he got the ponyta into their proper stables, chatting with him about things that they used to talk about before everything in the past two months had happened, much like they had been doing every day since the funeral.

The only time that they had ever talked about anything but was the immediate day after the funeral, when they discussed the kiss. She had been so upset about Drew's sudden departure that she hadn't even been able to hold in the tears when Gary asked her what was wrong. He detected the strangeness in her behavior when she came to the lab to visit him, and just like that, she had bursted into tears.

Gary had comforted her and waited until her crying ebbed before he began to speak, all the while feeling confused and worried for her. Once her crying had subsided to sniffles and hiccups, he asked her what had happened—and she told him everything.

At first, he didn't know how to react—hopeful, because he technically got another chance with her, or remorseful, because of the pain he caused her. In the end, he felt a mixture of both, but the guilt definitely stood out. He had held her closer and told her that everything would be alright, and that he knew she would make the right decision.

And then he had asked her if Drew were right—if that's why she didn't answer Drew when Drew asked whether or not she still loved Gary.

To that question, May just shook her head and told him that she didn't know.

Though he desperately wanted the answer, Gary didn't push the issue. After that, they just tried to go back to normal—or as normal as possible under the circumstances. For the most part, their friendship succeeded in doing so, remaining platonic as well.

"So, should I be walking you back to the Ketchums' house later on, or are you going to be heading home yourself?" Gary inquired as he walked through the lab with May. He played with Lillipup's ears while he walked alongside her.

May grinned at him. "Don't you always?"

"That I do," Gary grinned back, and then they left the lab to start for the Ketchums' house.

The night had long settled in as they walked through Pallet Town. Most of the citizens had already turned in for the night, but the lights in the occasional home and the streetlights illuminated the streets enough for people to see.

Lillipup wagged excitedly at the chance of seeing the town at night for the first time. Gary and May smiled at the little bundle of fluff in her arms and both reached to scratch the top of its head. Their fingers accidentally collided with one another atop the small space.

A slight blush swept across May's cheeks.

"Sorry," she laughed, and then handed Lillipup over to Gary. "I think you should take Lillipup now—we're almost there."

Gary smiled at her while looking off into the distance, like he was deep in thought. A couple steps later, they reached the red door of the Ketchums' house. The porch light was on, but the lights on the first floor were all shut off. He turned to May on the porch.

"Well, this is it for tonight," he said. "Good night and sweet dreams—I'll see you tomorrow."

May nodded and smiled at him. "See you tomorrow," she said, and reached into her bag to dig out her keys, only to find that she didn't have it with her.

"You forgot your bag, didn't you?" Gary asked as he saw her frown.

"Yeah," she sighed and reached into the pocket of her coat, hoping to find the spare key to the Ketchums' house. To her relief, she found it. A smile crossed her face as she held it up to her face. "Well, at least I didn't forget the keys."

Gary chuckled at her triumphant expression. He found it endearing the way she was grinning gleefully like a little kid. Next thing he knew, he had leaned in to give her a kiss on the forehead, unable to help himself.

"I'll keep your bag safe until tomorrow," he promised. "Good night."

May stared after him in bewilderment as he walked off the porch. It was the first time that he had ever kissed after his grandfather's funeral, and she felt her cheeks burning away and quickly went to stick the key into the lock so that she could enter the Ketchums' house. She pondered over her body's reaction to Gary's touch. Placing a hand over her heart, she felt it pounding madly against her chest.

Yes, she liked Gary—that she would acknowledge and admit—and just about every little quirk about him. She liked how he walked around with his hands in his pocket in a nonchalant manner. She liked how he would run his hand through his hair as he was working and muss up the spikes. She liked how his demeanor alone was enough to make other girls swoon.

She liked how dedicated he was to his work and those he loved. She liked how he handled pokémon. She liked how he looked in his white lab coat. And she liked how he was able to smile around her, despite all that had happened.

With those things in mind, she considered that she could possibly still love him like Drew had said.

But why was it that the feeling felt so...wrong?

Her feet dragged her to and up the stairs of the Ketchums' home. For the most part, all three of the Ketchums, including Pikachu, had gotten accustomed to the fact that Professor Oak had left the world for good. Though Delia had taken the longest to recover from the despair of the loss, even she had been coping rather well. Her dearest friend had departed for good, but she willingly accepted that fact, no matter how reluctantly.

She, along with her son and daughter-in-law, all agreed that the professor was in a better place. He was gone from the world, but would forever remain in the hearts of those who loved and respected him. His legacy would not be forgotten; it would live on in his place forever.

May eventually traveled to the guest room, where she had been staying in for the past month and a half. As usual, the room stirred up memories of the night Drew left, and she bit her lip as she was reminded of his absense. They still caused her stomach to lurch painfully and tears to sting the back of her eyes.

She missed him—Arceus, she missed him so much. She hadn't stopped thinking about him since he had left—the fact that she reread his letter once every day proved it. She had gotten close to buying a ticket to LaRousse during the week of his birthday in February, just so she could spend the day with him, even if she hadn't reached her decision yet.

But she refrained. She couldn't go find him—not yet, at least. He had said that he needed some time away from her and couldn't see her until she made her choice.

So, even though she desperately wanted to go to him—just to satisfy the desperate need to see his face, to be near him—she didn't. She couldn't do what she did to him again. If she was still struggling to choose between him and Gary, then she wasn't going to see him until she was completely sure that she wanted him. Him, and him _alone_.

There was a light rapping on the door, followed by a gentle voice requesting permission to come in.

May granted it, and watched from the bed as Misty entered the room.

"Hey, Misty," she greeted softly.

"Hey, honey," the woman greeted back as she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you holding up okay?"

The reference was clear.

"For the most part, yes," May answered. "I'm just having difficulty with making a choice."

"Who are you leaning more towards to?"

"The problem is—I don't know," she sighed. "I feel like I could possibly love Gary, like Drew said...and yet, I always get this strange, aching feeling whenever I think about the possibility.

"Meanwhile, I miss Drew every day to the point where it hurts and I feel like crying whenever I think about how much I hurt him. I love him—that I know for a fact. But I don't want to go find him if I'm still feeling something for Gary. When he's my choice, I want him to be my choice without the looming threat of someone else. Like, I want to be sure that I want him and only him." She bit her lip as she looked over at the woman perched at the end of the bed. "Do you understand what I mean, Misty?"

Misty nodded, pressing her lips together as she did so.

"I know what you mean," she affirmed, and then sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if I made the right decision in letting Drew go that day. I should have gone to wake you up—maybe you could have gotten him to stay."

May shook her head.

"No, don't say that," she insisted. "It's alright. He would have left regardless of who tried to stop him. I know him—once he makes up his mind, no one can change it." She looked up to the ceiling and clamped her hands together on the top of her legs. "It was probably best that he left, anyways. How could I make him wait for me and watch while I visit Gary every day? I did enough damage already." She swallowed to compose herself before her voice cracked. "I hurt him enough."

"Oh, May," Misty started, and reached out to squeeze the girl's hand. "Stop blaming yourself for everything. You didn't mean to hurt him—it just happened. Arceus knows Drew doesn't blame you, or else he never would've left that letter. You just need some time to make the right decision."

"I do, but I'm taking such a long time. Why am I even taking so long to choose between him and Gary? I make comparisons between the two of them every day, and I always end up leaning more towards him in the end. I should only love him—I shouldn't even think about the possibility of loving Gary."

"That's not your choice—your heart chooses that on its own, as clichéd as that sounds," Misty insisted, staring at the girl compassionately. "You can't help who you love."

A small smile actually tugged on the corners of May's lips. "You know—Drew said that exact thing in his letter," she said.

Misty smiled before giving her hand a pat and stood up from the bed.

"Then you know for a fact that Drew agrees with me," she said as she walked to the doorway. "You'll make the right decision eventually, May. For now, just get some sleep." She began to close the door. "Good night, honey."

"I know—I just hope I make it soon. All this waiting isn't good for any of us," May responded. She tried her best to return Misty's kind smile. "Good night, Misty."

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Three chapters left after this one. Where has the time gone? D: May makes her choice next chapter! Make sure to read and review! Thanks!

Oh yeah, I'd like to point something else out. May's coping pretty well with Drew's absence; Bella didn't with Edward's. I'm just saying. :P

Expect a Contestshipping oneshot from me sometime this week, hopefully! I'll most likely have it up before I update again for this story. Please go read it and leave a review on your way out? I'd appreciate it greatly. :)


	38. The Choice

**Update August 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>I thank all of you for relieving me by assuring me that my story and <em>Twlight<em> are nothing alike. Thank you all so much! Really! Not that I have anything against _Twilight_, but it seriously gets me a little ticked off when every single love story these days is somehow linked or compared to _Twilight_. Just because a story contains a dramatic and tragic love triangle and ton of drama, doesn't make it similar to _Twilight_. Just saying. :P

Well, with that said, happy reading! Please review!

**_Responses to Reviews...  
>Inkorporated:<em>**_ Thank you! Ugh, it honestly kind of erked me when those two reviewers said that my story was starting to become more like _Twilight. _-_- Believe me, my life is pretty crazy right now, too—and it's not in a good way either. :\  
><em>_**Contestshippingfan:**__ Thanks! I wrote a oneshot for Contestshipping, and it's called _Pursuit Before Midnight_. You should check it out in the mean time, and possibly leave a review, too? :P  
><em>_**rose lover forever baby: **__Ahh, unfortunately, I've already written the rest of the story. Too late to go back and change it. :P  
><em>_**animeartist123:**__ Thank you!  
><em>_**Ai-chan:**__ Lol, that's cute! I'm replying to your review right now. :) Thanks for reading my story and thank you so much for everything you said! The triangle will end in this chapter (I hated the air of depression, too) and Drew will be returning next chapter! Stay tuned. :)  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ Thank you! Haha, that's what I'm saying!  
><em>_**Otaku'25:**__ He's twenty now after his birthday, as clarified in the thirtieth chapter. :)  
><em>_**theasianwonder:**__ Haha, I'm glad. It was my favorite part to write. :)  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Haha! Thank you! And I think I probably would have died if I were in your shoes at that time. I can't take any kind of bugs, cockroaches especially. They're just so...ugly. :\ Haha, sorry. Unfortunately, only one chapter a week. :P  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ I totally agree! Thank you! Hopefully you still think that after I post them. :)  
><em>_**SilverWinds:**__ Thank you!  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ It's okay! I always forgive those who review late (or never before) just so long as they eventually review! :D Hahaha! I'm glad you think that, and everyone else! I'm relieved! :) Be patient, my dear! Only two more chapters left after this one!  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Thank you! I agree! I'll probably have to check out your new chapter after I get back from vacation, though. :\  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Haha, if only you (and everyone else) didn't know. Imagine all of the suspense I could be building! xD Drew's birthday is in February. I mentioned that (or rather, he mentioned that) in the thirtieth chapter, but I never specified the day, so you can decide which day you prefer. :)  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ If only I had more time in Singapore, I totally would've rode those skytrains over and over again! It was just so fun, and my first ever time riding a train! Hopefully, when I stop by there again on my flight back home, I'll get to ride the skytrains again. :)  
><em>_**Liellana:**__ Thank you so much, honey!  
><em>_**yamiii-chan:**__ Thank you, sweetie!  
><em>_**Live. backwards:**__ I'm glad, because my story and _Twilight _is nearly entirely different in my opinion! Lots of other stories have drama/angst; not just _Twilight!_! I don't dislike you, nor do I think that you're trying to save face. You're always free to express your opinions. :)  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Believe me, I was getting teary-eyed while I was writing the letter! See how much of a sap I am?  
><em>_**Sora-May: **__For some reason, some words in my chapters are always randomly pulled out for some reason! I definitely remember typing them, but they always disappear when I actually post the chapter. :\ He's coming back next chapter! :D  
><em>_**Pokemaster: **__That's so cool! I didn't even notice that until you pointed it out! :D  
><em>_**shanasakura-scarlet21:**__ It's okay! You still reviewed; it's fine!  
><em>_**61wisampa:**__ Hahahaha, thank you so much! I really agree!  
><em>_**KittyRin:**__ The word 'blame' was taken out of that sentence! I don't know why random words are always deleted from my chapters. Dx I completely agree with what you said! I'm so sick of people comparing _everysingle_ love story to _Twilight_! I mean, stop it! It's annoying! Not every story that contains a romantic genre and dramatic love triangle makes it similar to _Twilight_! _**_  
>PorcelainDollxx: <em>**_He said 'even if this is the end between us'. Emphasis on the 'if', so that's why she was questioning it. :)  
><em>_**DracoBlitzen:**__ I actually do! I'm debating on whether or not to write a Oldrivalshipping fic as a spinoff of this story for some closure between Gary and Leaf. I'll try to check out your story soon if I can find time. I don't have a Beta reader because I never saw a reason for one.  
><em>_**parkhyunjae:**__ Aw, that's so sweet! Thank you, honey! I'm glad that I could actually inspire you! :D I posted my story, by the way! I'll go check out yours whenever I can find time in this tight schedule of mine.  
><em>_**LillieGhoul:**__ Haha, I felt like smacking myself for all the times I hurt Brendan. But the poor guy won't suffer long. You'll see when you get further into my story if you haven't already. xD  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**__ THANK YOU SO MUCH! Fine then, you silly flygon. xD Ahhh, that's not what I planned in the final chapters. Good idea, but it's too late for me to use it. :P  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome: **__I'm not shooting you, silly! Haven't I always forgiven those who review late just so long as they do review eventually? :)  
><em>_**ponyiowa:**__ I agree!  
><em>_**Guest: **__Thank you so much, sunshine! I will be writing more stories, but I think I'll just stick with oneshots for now until I can think of a solid plotline to work with for another long story. I just posted a oneshot two days ago. Feel free to check it out! :)  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Oh gosh...please not you, too. I've only had two people who said that my story is similar to _Twilight_; I don't need nor want a third! Dx  
><em>_**AdorableMe:**__ Hahaha, it's okay if you're too lazy to review for every chapter so far. One will suffice! xD  
><em>_**BlueJeanne:**__ Thank you!  
><em>_**PokemonPotter:**__ Thanks so much, sweetie! Oh, and not to be a creeper or anything, but I kind of checked out your profile because your username intrigued me. We have so much in common! We're both in love with _Pokemon_ and_ Harry Potter, _and our fashion inspiration (and obsession) is Selena Gomez! How coincidental. xD I'll see what I can do about Elesa!  
><em>_**BlueGreenEyes16:**__ I'm one, too! Lol! :D I definitely read _Catching Fire—_in fact, I read the entire trilogy twice already! I'm incredibly obsessed with the _Hunger Games_! :)_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 38<strong>

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><p>May thought long and hard about Misty's words that night, tossing and turning in bed long after the lights had been turned out.<p>

The yearning to make the decision between Drew and Gary made her insides hurt. And despite Misty's insistence for her to stop blaming herself for everything, she couldn't help but do so. She was hurting both guys with the time she was taking to choose between the two of them.

Drew was waiting in LaRousse for her to make the decision, and Gary had to see her every day until she did. How could she choose between the two of them and not hurt the other one?

She decided that she didn't deserve either Gary or Drew—that they were far too good for her. The former had been with her since she was twelve, as her best friend but never as her boyfriend, though she spent the better part of her teenage years head over heels for him. The latter had made her forget about the former and had been nothing but wonderful to her from the day they met, though she didn't exactly care for him or fall for him as quickly as she did for the former.

But none of those things made the former better than the latter, or vice versa—they just made it harder for May to choose. In a nutshell, they were both the best guys she had ever had the pleasure of meeting. And ultimately, she still decided that she didn't deserve either of them.

The thoughts continued to plague her mind for the rest of the night. It was probably well past four in the morning until she actually fell asleep. But even then, her sleep was restless. She tossed and turned, her dreams were filled with images of a brunette and a grasshead, and she woke up to a raging headache.

Pikachu leapt onto her bed the moment she opened her eyes and snuggled into the crook of her neck in an attempt to comfort her, but it was little use.

With a small smile, she simply gave it a kiss on the top of the head before scooping it up into her arms. It took every ounce of strength and willpower for her to even get out of bed.

Pikachu watched her with sad, sympathetic eyes.

It was a weekend, and instead of heading straight over to the lab like she usually did, May found herself reluctant to do so. After taking a shower and eating breakfast with the Ketchums, she headed out to town, where she found a quaint little café to spend some time to herself in. There, she ordered herself a hot chocolate and picked out a book off of the various bookshelves in the café. Once she had her selection, she found herself a vacant table by the window and plopped down in a seat to begin her reading.

The book was intriguing enough that May actually found herself completely drawn into the story. The author's writing was eloquent and innovative, making for a perfectly balanced story that contained as much tragedy as it did happiness. She eagerly leafed through the pages, absorbing the story into her mind.

Word for word, sentence for sentence—her eyes took them all in. The story enthralled her and commanded her total attention. It even managed to take her mind completely off of her current dilemma with Drew and Gary.

Time was lost as she continued to add to the pages on the left side of the book. Customers came in and went out of the café as the morning eventually gave way to noon, and then afternoon. But then she remembered that she was probably hours late to her visit to the lab. Gary was probably waiting for her, and she was suddenly overcome with guilt for making him wait so long. Committing the page number to her memory, she shut the novel and replaced it on the bookshelf before grabbing her drink and leaving the café.

The sun was shining brightly, but a chilly bite still remained from the last few weeks of winter. May adjusted the chunky knit scarf around her neck and belted her thick cardigan in an attempt to lock in some body heat. It worked, until she took a sip of her beverage.

To her dismay, it had chilled far too much for it to even be considered a hot chocolate anymore. With a frown, she chucked it into the nearest trash can and settled for wrapping her arms around herself instead.

The lab was merely a few blocks away from the café, so May didn't have to do much walking. Little kids ran past her on the sidewalk, laughing and squealing as they chased one another. She smiled at them as they ran by, and was suddenly reminded of the little boy that she had helped back when she was in Lavender Town with Drew.

It hadn't even been a year yet, but it still felt like it had been decade ago. She still remembered how he had mimicked her to tease her after he witnessed her tripping on a glass bottle right after she helped the little boy, who had fallen as well. That incident, of course, was followed up by him leading her to the field of roses, where she spent the night sleeping in his arms.

As she thought about it, she realized that she was currently just as confused about him and Gary as she was back then.

And then she found three other things that she missed about Drew: the roses, the kisses, and the sleeping in his arms.

She missed receiving a rose from him everyday at the most unexpected of times. There was never a set time for the roses; they were just given randomly and with each one, she would get a kiss as well.

Those were also given to her at unexpected times—the kisses. They were given when she was beside him, or when she was all the way across a room. They were given when they were doing something, or when they were sitting around idly. They were given when they were dead silent, or when they were in the middle of saying something. She missed those rude little interruptions the most.

A kiss was also given to her right before they would fall asleep together. Those nights, she found herself enjoying a blissful sleep, which she had not had the pleasure of having since the new year began. What she wouldn't have given to receive any of those things from him, or just to see him in general. She missed him, missed him _so_ much.

May sighed as she stepped off the sidewalk and onto the trail that would lead to the lab. The trail raised as it went further up the hill, making for a difficult hike. But she simply stuck her hands into the pockets of her cardigan and walked on as if it were nothing. She had long gotten used to the trail; it was a walk in the park for her. Her lips formed a bittersweet smile when she immediately thought of her and Drew in Lavender Town Park again.

The land gradually went flat as May neared the lab. With every step she took closer to the building, she could see it a little more clearly. The door was slightly open, and someone was leaning against the wall beside it. Thinking it was Gary waiting for her because she was late, she sighed before stepping closer.

But then she saw that it wasn't Gary—it was Leaf.

"Oh, hey Leaf," she greeted, surprised. "Didn't expect you to be out here waiting for me."

Leaf gave her a halfhearted smile. "Yeah. Well, I haven't been the only one waiting for you," she said, her tone slightly sad.

"You're talking about Gary, right? Is he inside?"

"Actually, he's not—I haven't seen him inside the lab since early this morning. He went out back, and never came back in."

May furrowed her brows as she walked over to Leaf's side. "That's strange. He's never done that on a weekend before," she said.

"I don't know what's gotten into him. He came back last night, deep in thought, and then disappeared out back this morning," Leaf said, her eyes falling to the ground. She sighed once. "Sometimes, I wish I were you, May."

May was taken aback. "Me?" she asked incredulously. "Why me?"

"Because you can make him so much happier than I can. I've never seen him as cheerful around me as he is around you."

"Don't be ridiculous—you've made him smile loads of times. And laugh, too."

"But he only ever truly smiles and laughs when you're here," said Leaf sadly. "I feel like he just pretends around me."

May eyed her analytically, wondering what exactly brought on her sudden mood. "What are you saying?"

Leaf swallowed and furrowed her eyebrows in a way that made her look as if she were struggling with some internal conflict. She brought her hands together in front of her and gazed off into the distance. Her perfectly pink lips pressed together in a tight line for some time before she opened her mouth to speak.

"I really envy you sometimes, May. Your relationship with Gary is one that I could only hope to have," she professed. "For starters, you're his best friend. He's only ever himself around you, and he can only tell you his thoughts. You know things about him that nobody else knows, and you can share things with him that nobody else can."

"What are you talking about, Leaf?" May asked, not quite understanding her, but feeling as if she did at the same time.

The twenty-year-old brunette turned to her then. "I saw you two kiss at the funeral."

May visibly froze, and it wasn't due to the cool weather. It felt as if a chill had surged throughout her entire body. She couldn't move, could barely breath. Her mouth only hung slightly agape in disbelief. Words simply couldn't form.

Leaf understood the unasked question, despite her silence. "How did I see?" she asked to be sure.

When May nodded, she went on, "I was still worried about Gary after he told me to leave, so I stayed behind out of his sight, just to make sure that he was okay. I didn't think that you guys would..."

She trailed off and looked to the ground as if conflicted again. "Why'd you guys kiss, May? I thought you had Drew. Why did you let Gary kiss you, and then kiss him back?"

"I—I don't know, to be honest, Leaf," May stammered penitently. "One minute, he was pouring his heart out to me, and the next, we were kissing. I didn't expect it to happen, so when it did, I think I was so overwhelmed by everything that I just went with it." She thought for a moment. "Or maybe it was my subconscious mind accepting him because it knew that, deep down, I still had feelings for him. I just...I really don't know."

"_Do_ you still have feelings for him?"

"I feel like I do."

"Then, what's holding you back? Is it Drew?"

"It's not exactly like that," May insisted, shaking her head. "It's difficult to explain, really. I have feelings for Gary, that much is clear. But I _love_ Drew—it's a fact that I'm completely sure about. It's just..." She bit her lip, not knowing what she wanted to say exactly. She eventually settled for, "I'm just having an extremely difficult time choosing one of them. I don't want to settle for either guy until I'm completely sure of my choice."

Leaf stared at her intensely, as if May were a new discovery that she just couldn't quite decipher. She pondered over the girl's words, trying to decide what she wanted to say next in reply.

The girl had feelings for Gary, but she loved Drew. She loved Drew, but she had feelings for Gary. The two sides were as conflicting as they were confusing, and Leaf finally understood why May was having such a difficult time deciding between the two.

But it was obvious that one of them was holding her back from going to the one she loved most. It wasn't difficult to guess who was the former and who was the latter.

"It sounds to me like Gary's the one holding you back," she finally ratified, causing May to look over at her. "You like him, but you love Drew. Love is the more powerful emotion in this scenario, May. Your heart has already chosen Drew, but because you also have feelings for Gary, your mind's making you hold back. You like him, so your mind's keeping you from going to Drew. You just don't want to hurt him again because you're scared that you're going to make Gary grow into even more of a threat to Drew than he already is. Am I right?"

May didn't have to dwell on Leaf's words for very long. She was spot on with what she said—completely right. Like getting a map laid out in front of her, Leaf's words had laid out everything for her to see. She was holding back from going to Drew all because of Gary. It was clear as day that her heart had already chosen Drew.

In fact, it had already chosen Drew from the day they got together. Her mind was what led to the predicament that she was in. Just the fact that Leaf was right made her yearn to slap herself.

"You're right," she eventually acquiesced, shaking her head at her own stupidity "You're absolutely right, Leaf. Why did it have to take for you to tell me this in order for me to see it?"

A bittersweet smile spread across Leaf's lips, and she shook her head. Instead of answering May's question, she just tilted her head back. Pressing the back of it against the side of the lab, she sighed to the sky.

May watched her do so. Something dawned on her then, and after comprehending it, she spoke.

"You love him, don't you Leaf?"

Leaf didn't bother to deny it. She just closed her brown eyes, sighed into the air again, and nodded.

"_Arceus_, Leaf...I'm so sorry," May muttered remorsefully. Leave it to herself to hurt another friend without even meaning to. "You must be..._Arceus_. I'm so sorry—these past two months must have been so hard on you. Why didn't you say anything to me? To him?"

"Don't blame yourself, May. You can't blame yourself for what you didn't know," Leaf insisted with a shake of her head. "I didn't tell anybody because it wouldn't have made a difference, anyways. He loves you—what difference would it have made if he knew that I loved him?"

"It could have made a world of difference."

Leaf shook her head again. "Gary doesn't need this right now."

"Leaf..."

"Forget about it—I've already kept it to myself for months. From the month I became Professor Oak's disciple...what's another couple months?"

May watched with a saddened frown as Leaf pushed away from the lab with yet another sigh.

"You have to tell him someday, Leaf," she insisted. "You can't keep it from him forever."

"I know," Leaf replied, and then nodded in the direction of the door to change the subject. "Let's go inside now. We were so caught up in our conversation that we forgot about him. He's probably still waiting out back for you."

May nodded reluctantly and followed her into the lab, where the sudden warmth burned her chilled skin.

Leaf closed the door behind the two of them and kicked off her shoes to replace them with slippers. The plush slip-ons warmed her feet and made it easier to walk around the lab. She shuffled around until she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, May—Gary moved your bag over to the closet," she informed. "He dropped it this morning when he tried to move it."

May's eyes widened slightly as she remembered the bag. She understood then why Gary had been acting the way that he did, and rushed to retrieve it. Immediately, she took out the gold ribbons case, which stood out from everything else. Shaking slightly, she took it out and, after much consideration, opened the lid, only to find that she was right.

Drew's letter was missing.

Knowing exactly where the letter could possibly be, May traveled to the back door to head outside. She didn't check prior to pinpoint Gary's exact location; she just went with her instinct. Alas, he was found at the edge of the pond, sitting with Lillipup resting in his lap.

Rubbing her hands together to generate heat, she walked over to him.

He seemed to notice her presence, but didn't turn around. He just placed a hand on the head of the sleeping lillipup.

"Remember when I gave you this little one at graduation? I should have told you how I felt about you then. Maybe if I had, this whole thing would have been avoided," he said aloud. "But it's too late for that now, huh?"

May couldn't think of anything else to say but, "I'm sorry, Gary."

Gary ignored her. She watched as he stood up instead, holding Lillipup carefully in his arms. He turned to hand her pokémon to her.

"I actually thought that this one—plus the time you spent with me every day—would be enough to make you pick me," he went on as he reached into the pocket of his lab coat. May watched him, unsurprised when he pulled out her letter. He held it out to her. "But I see now that they weren't. They can't compete with this, can they?"

He paused, and then added, "You aren't mad at me for reading it, are you? I was moving your bag when your ribbons case fell out and this just fell out of it."

Again, May couldn't think of anything else to say. She shook her head, fighting back tears as she stared at him, while taking Drew's letter back with her free hand.

"No—no, I'm not mad at you," she told him, feeling a bit choked up. "I'm so sorry, Gary."

"Hey, hey. Don't cry," Gary soothed, reaching out with one hand to wipe away the lone tear that had slipped down her cheek. "Don't apologize either. I think you've made your choice, May, and though I'm not exactly happy about it, I'm glad that you did. This makes it easier for all three of us—we've all been waiting for your decision."

When May didn't respond but sniffle, Gary took her into his arms and held her close to him. He felt his own throat constrict as he rested his cheek on the top of her head. It was over, all over between them. He had no more hopes that she would choose him over Drew.

She'd made up her mind, and there was no way that he was changing it. As much as he hated it, he had to let her go. Had to let her go for her to go to Drew, the one she loved most. Had to let her go so that he could have his best friend back. Had to let her go so that he could be freed of the waiting and hoping. The earlier he was freed, the less pain he would have to endure.

"No matter what, you're still my best friend," he promised. "This doesn't change anything about our friendship. Just because a relationship didn't work out, doesn't mean that I want you out of my life, okay?"

May eagerly nodded against his chest, having feared that he would want to sever all ties with her. It was pure, sweet relief when he told her that he didn't, and she quickly withdrew Lillipup to hug him back.

After a long, purely platonic hug between them, she pulled away.

"Thank you, Gary; for everything," she told him with a genuinely grateful smile. "I think I'm going to head back to the Ketchums' now."

Gary returned her smile and nodded.

"Go on," he urged, truly meaning it despite how much it hurt for him to do so. "I don't think I'm going to walk you back today, though—too much work to do."

May knew that it was just his way of asking for some time alone without her. With an understanding nod, she said goodbye to him and slowly made her way back into the lab.

Gary stuck his hands in the pocket of his lab coat as he watched her do so, feeling torn and conflicted. He was suddenly overcome with the urge to run to her then, and beg her to change her mind.

But then he reminded himself that he needed to let her go. He needed to let her go find her own happiness. In the meantime, he decided that he was just going to settle with being happy for her.

May ran into Leaf on the way out of the lab. The brunette had been doing some research on a computer, when May suddenly nudged her and gave her a hug.

"I'm going to LaRousse City tomorrow," she announced happily.

Leaf widened her eyes at May, unsure about how she needed to feel about the fact.

"Say what?" she gaped.

May laughed happily and filled her in on everything that had happened in the past hour.

When she was done, Leaf was still left gaping, only she looked confused as well, which made May hug her again. With a stifled smile, she gave Leaf an encouraging pat on the arm, and began to head to the door.

"Make sure you get him, Leaf," she instructed.

Leaf understood completely at that moment. She nodded, and gave May a grateful smile.

"Thank you," she replied. "Good luck, honey."

May nodded back with a wide smile. "Thanks—you, too," she said.

And then, after saying goodbye to Leaf, she turned and left the lab to head back to town.

She made sure to buy a ferry ticket that would take her to LaRousse the next morning before going back to the Ketchums' to pack.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I'm thinking of writing an Oldrivalshipping fic as a spinoff of this story. What do you guys think? I need to know that I'm going to be getting as much support for it as I did for this. Leave your thoughts in the reviews!


	39. Searching for Emeralds

**Update July 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>I'm in such a giddy mood right now, for some reason, and I don't know why. I'm literally smiling my face off. :D<p>

Maybe it's because you wonderful people left over **thirty-five reviews** for the last chapter within _**two days**__, _and more than **forty-five reviews** (that's a record!) in the **_past week_**? Or the fact that you all helped this story reach **900 reviews**? Or because I managed to go back and fix all of the errors in most of the past chapters? Or maybe—just maybe—because inspiration suddenly struck me on vacation and I'm now **extending this story **by **_two chapters_**?

I don't really know, you tell me!

The only thing I can tell you is that I think you're all the most amazing readers I could ever ask for! I mean, 900 reviews already? I honestly never thought that I would even get past 200, let alone nine! I can't thank you all enough! Please keep those great reviews coming! I seriously love you all so much, and I wish I could hug the living daylights out of you all! *hugs!*

Happy reading, sweethearts! **THREE **more chapters to go now! :D

Oh, from now on, for those of you who review my story (thank you!) but aren't members of the site, please leave a name for me to refer to you by. It's so hard responding to a couple different "Guests". :\

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>61wisampa:<strong>__ A new chapter comes out every Saturday until this story comes to an end. :)  
><em>_**theasianwonder:**__ I know!  
><em>_**Inkorporated:**__ Definitely! I'm going home next week, as a matter of fact. :) Hahaha, of course you did! You're Samia. :D  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ It's three chapters now! I'm extending the story! :D  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Three more chapters now! And one of those chapters is an epilogue! :D  
><em>_**Acetrainer777:**__ I agree. :\ You should read the other chapters before this fic ends, though. :P  
><em>_**PorcelainDollxx:**__ Hehehe, the questions are going to be answered next chapter. For now, I'm leaving you guys with another cliffhanger. Sorry. xD  
><em>_**AdorableMe:**__ Hahah, aw, why didn't you? :P Thanks for being the 900th reviewer, though!  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ Thanks so much, sunshine!  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ It's been raining a lot where I am, too. :\ Like, literally, I went out at night one time during a downpour, and my entire pair of jeans got soaked all the way through!  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Haha, I think it's just the love triangle. But I mean, there are plenty of love stories out there with love triangles, right? :P  
><em>_**contestshippinglover:**__ I'm going to be honest and say that I'm actually with you on that one. I was kind of rooting for Brunetteshipping, too, even though I'm an author writing a Contestshipping story. Lol! xD I'll see how the planning goes! So far, there hasn't been any inspiration because honestly, I'm having trouble picturing him with Leaf, too. :\ I was also thinking of writing a Brunetteshipping story, too! As an alternative for this story, you know? But of course, I'm having trouble with that, too. Hope I can get some inspiratio soon. xD  
><em>_**IAmThePokemonprincess:**__ Your welcome! :D  
><em>_**Ai-chan:**__ Make-out session there is, but it won't be until next chapter! xD  
><em>_**Guest:**__ Hahaha! Well, it is a Contestshipping fic. The outcome should have been easily predicted and expected. xD__**  
>BlueGreenEyes16:<strong>__ Thank you! :D And I'm glad you caught up!  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Same! :D  
><em>_**Otaku'25:**__ I know! Let's happy dance together! xD  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed: **__Hahaha, I don't even know—just some random book I decided to throw in, so you decide! :) I only have a dog, and she does a fairly good job of catching bugs and spiders, but I think she just tries to play with them more than anything. She only killed one baby cricket before, and that was because she was attempting to play with it. xD I think I probably would have literally died from screaming my head off if I were in your sister's shoes. The poor girl. :( And thank you, darling. :)  
><em>_**DNN. TDN. US:**__ Thank you very much, honey. :)  
><em>_**Blademon:**__ Haha, I'm glad I was able to make Brunetteshipping so appealing! I actually really love that couple. xD  
><em>_**PokemonPotter:**__ Thank you! I hope so! :D  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ If I had skytrains where I live, I would literally never buy a car and just ride the skytrains everywhere. I mean, it was so cool! And I wish I had palm trees where I lived, too! The palm trees, along with the scenery and sunrise, was just gorgeous! Singapore is just so pretty!  
><em>_**Pokemaster: **__Thanks for telling me who you are! I get so confused with all these "Guests". xD  
><em>_**xNightDreamerx: **__Haha, yay! :D And yes—drama galore!  
><em>_**MissMileyRaion:**__ Ugh, I had that happen to me before, so I knew enough about the situation to write this story. :\ _  
><em><strong>laurenkams:<strong>__ Thank you. :)  
><em>_**Guest:**__ N?  
><em>_**Guest:**__ Lol, how ironic! xD I was actually thinking that! Maybe I'll write both if I get enough inspiration? :P  
><em>_**Guest:**__ I know! :D  
><em>_**KittyRin:**__ I've never read an Oldrivalshipping before, so I think I'll have to read some in order to get some inspiration. xD I know! I'm getting confused with all the anonymous reviewers. :\  
><em>_**Guest:**__ Really? I think he confessed too late. :\  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ Thank you! :D  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ Haha, aw, thanks! :D  
><em>_**shanasakura-scarlet21:**__ Hahaha, I purposely made it seem that way to emphasize how much she likes Drew. :)__**  
>parkhyunjae:<strong>__ Hahah! And to think that I was obessing over that song a month ago—there _is_ a resemblance! There's going to be three more now, sweetheart! More for amazing reviewers like you to read. :)  
><em>_**KK: **__I did miss you! As I was going back to reedit the past chapters, I saw your username in the responses to reviews, and I was wondering where you went! I thought you gave up on this story, so it's great to have you back! :D Oldrivalshipping is the pairing of Gary and Leaf.  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Psh, of course! Leaf helped May, so it's only fair that May helps her back. And of course, where there's May, there will be Drew, and as long as they're together...Contestshipping! :D  
><em>_**contetshippingrose:**__ :D  
><em>_**Mistress:**_ _I know; it's so confusing! I didn't even know what to refer to you as, so I just went with "Mistress", if that's okay. :\ Hope so!  
><em>_**FlygonFan:**_ _Unfortunately, there's no room for Barry or Kenny; the final chapters are already written out. Sorry. :\ Thank you for everything else you_ _said!_  
><em><strong>Oldrival:<strong>__ Thank you very much, honey! I really enjoyed every bit about both of your reviews! :D  
><em>_**LillieGhoul:**__ Haha, I remember you! :D  
><em>_**Kaurz9802:**__ Thanks! :D_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 39<strong>

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><p>LaRousse turned out to be a lot bigger than May had expected.<p>

As she rode the skytrain on the monorail, which wrapped around the large island that was the city, she couldn't help but gape out the window in awe. It was her first time seeing the city in person, and she had no idea how she would find Drew's house in such a foreign place, even with the address.

She had been told by Solidad, when she had called the woman a week ago to ask for the address, that it was near the Battle Tower, the city's most popular attraction. From what she could see, the giant building protruded from the heart of the southern district of the city.

But that offered little comfort considering she saw more buildings on the map of the southern district than she did the others, especially the northern district. It was practically made up entirely of the city's park, save for the bridge that was built above it, providing for easy transportation to mainland Hoenn.

The train eventually pulled into the train station, which was easily the most futuristic train station that May had ever seen. But then again, the technologically advanced city _was _the most futuristic city in of all Hoenn.

In addition to the buildings, practically everything else was futuristic as well. The sidewalks moved and robots, called Block Bots, littered the streets. They performed a variety of functions for the citizens and visitors of LaRousse, such as welcoming visitors and taking pictures for passports. They served as LaRousse's defense system, while windmills acted as the city's main source of power.

May found the city to be extremely fascinating. She would have liked to explore the city, that was at the confluence of two large rivers, but she had another more important task at hand. Finding Drew would be more important than sightseeing any day.

Besides, if she found him and all went well, she would have gotten herself a tour guide. What better person to show her around LaRousse than a boyfriend who had been born and raised in the city?

Outside of the train station, the sun shone brightly on the city, though it barely provided enough warmth due to the lingering chill of winter. May pulled her scarf up further to cover more of her face as she stepped onto a moving sidewalk.

At first, she was really unsteady and caught off guard by the sidewalk. She felt like she was a product at a grocery store being brought to the cashier on the conveyer belt, only she had nothing to hold onto. A few girls saw her as they passed on a sidewalk going the opposite direction, and giggled behind their palms at her awkwardness.

The paved walkway carried her in the direction of the Battle Tower, where she planned to start her hunt for Drew's house. She was transported past rows of different buildings—high-tech versions of convenience stores, restaurants, offices, shops, and other businesses. She would have loved to explore the city with Drew guiding her.

That was, if he was still waiting for her. When it suddenly occurred to her that Drew could possibly have gotten bored or impatient over the past two months, her palms began to grow clammy. Rubbing them on the fabric of her jeans, she seriously prayed for that not to be the case.

The sidewalk continued to bring her past the tall white building that was the Battle Tower. May saw then why it was the city's most popular attraction. It was already portrayed as one of the most superb structures in the Hoenn region, but up close, it truly was an even more magnificent sight to behold.

A sleek structure that stood taller than anything else in the city, demanding the attention of those were seeing it for the first time or saw it every day alike. The sunlight rebounded off of the tinted blue windows, which displayed the reflection of anyone who passed. May barely managed to catch a glimpse of herself before she was carried right past the tower. From what she saw, she looked nervous.

According to the slip of paper in her hand, that had Drew's address written down on it, she would have to step onto the upcoming sidewalk on her left. It was supposed to take her right into Drew's neighborhood, but after checking the map of the city, she was fairly certain that she still had her work cut out for her.

After the sidewalk brought her into it, she was completely convinced. The neighborhood was rather large, and none of the three-story houses possessed a distinctive trait. For all she knew, any of the houses could have been Drew's. Thankfully, she had the house number on her slip of paper.

Her eyes remained wide open as the sidewalk carried her through the neighborhood. She scanned the front of each home to her right, hoping to find the one with the right house number. Minutes passed like hours, and she eventually reached the end of the sidewalk. But she didn't find Drew's house on the right side, and so she crossed the wide street to get to the left.

The whole process repeated, only she was being carried toward the entrance of the neighborhood instead of away from it. But her eyes were still just as alert, and before she knew it, they landed on the exact three digits that she had been looking for. She stepped off the sidewalk, and headed down the walkway—which was surprisingly not moving—to get to the front door.

Like the rest of houses, the front lawn was covered in the finest green grass that May had ever seen. The entire exterior was made out of a sleek white material that she could not identify, and the windows were framed with the same dark wood that the door was made out of.

It was a nice contrast, May decided, especially with the tinted blue windows. But when her eyes reached the doorbell, she found herself unable to admire the architecture. With a shaky hand, she brought her finger up to press down on the button and waited anxiously for the door to open.

It was funny, May thought, how even seconds seemed to drag on like decades if a person was nervously anticipating something. As she waited for the door to open, she felt herself growing more and more worried. A few possible outcomes ran through her mind in the short period of time before the door opened, and they were mostly negative.

She was afraid that Drew was angry with her for making him wait for her for two whole months. She was afraid that he was upset with her for even having to take so long with her decision. She was afraid that he had stopped waiting for her. She was afraid that he had moved on.

But mostly, she was afraid of how her absence could have possibly affected him. She wouldn't be able to live with herself unless he was in any condition that was at least healthy, if not happy.

The door began to open at that moment, and May's heart stopped. Her hands grew clammy and her mouth ran dry as she waited for the door to be pulled away enough to see the person behind it. She wanted to see Drew—couldn't wait to see him again so that she could apologize for and fix everything. It was her fault that they had to go two months without each other, and she certainly was going to do all that she could to make up for it. If only the door would open faster so that she could see him...

But it wasn't him on the other side of the door. Instead, an old woman, who appeared to be about middle-aged if not slightly older, opened the door. She took a moment to appraise May with her dark brown eyes, her eyebrows furrowing in thought. She felt as if she knew the brunette standing beneath the doorway, or had at least seen her before in a picture.

It took a couple seconds—a couple of excruciatingly awkward seconds for May—until a bright smile finally broke across her face and lit up her eyes.

"My, you're May!" she exclaimed.

"I-I'm sorry," May stammered, feeling the slightest bit uncomfortable about the woman's enthusiasm. "B-but, have we ever met?"

"Oh, no dear, we haven't. But Drew has showed me pictures of and told me so much about you, that I could recognize you anywhere."

May's stomach fluttered at the name. "Drew? Is he here?" she asked.

The woman shook her head. "Drew is not in currently, I'm afraid," she informed, and stepped aside. She waved May in. "Come on in and out of the cold, honey. I'm fairly certain that Drew would prefer to come home without his girlfriend frozen stiff on the front porch."

May smiled politely and stepped into the house, all the while feeling quite disappointed with the fact that it wasn't Drew who had opened the door.

The inside of the house was even more innovative than than the exterior. The walls were painted a very subtle steel blue, while the flooring was covered with sleek white tiles. It was furnished at every corner of the room with pieces even more state-of-the-art than those in the Lilycove Hayden house. The glass and dark wood coffee table at the center of the lime green couches alone possessed the kind of design that made it more modern than anything in May's house.

"Take a seat, May," the woman instructed, while guiding the girl over to a couch. "Make yourself at home while I go get you something to drink. Would hot chocolate be okay?"

"That would be great, thanks," May answered politely, and sat herself down. The firm leather barely sunk under her weight.

The woman instantly disappeared into what May assumed to be the kitchen. Seconds later, she reappeared with a mug filled with a steaming hot beverage. She set the mug down on the coffee table before May, who eyed it before looking over at her.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't get a chance to catch your name?" she said.

"I'm Gloria, dear—I'm the housekeeper," the woman named Gloria told her. "I was also Drew's and Alta's nanny when they were babies. Do you know Alta?"

"Yes, she's Drew's little sister. I met her in Lilycove right before Christmas," May responded, remembering the strawberry blonde with a fond smile. She had been extremely supportive of May when she learned about the situation, and for that, May would always be grateful to her. "She's a sassy one, that one."

"Ah, yes. Alta sure is sassy," Gloria laughed, and something flickered in her eyes. "So is Drew, for that matter."

May pressed her lips together as she looked down at the floor. The mentioning of Drew's name made her insides ache, especially since she had expected that he would have been the one to open the door.

It was one of the biggest letdowns of her life when it wound up not being him. She had gotten her hopes up, only to have them get crushed to bits. She had to wait even more to see him—again.

"How was he?" she inquired hesitantly. "When he first came back to LaRousse, I mean."

Gloria tightened her lips, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.

"At first, he was really down," she said with a grimace to May, who grimaced as well. "He barely talked, and his eating and sleeping habits were unusual. Somedays, he would eat very little, while other days, he wouldn't eat at all, and I don't think he got a full night of sleep for weeks. Every moment that he was awake, he spent training with his pokémon out at the park. I can't even begin to imagine how he must have felt on the inside."

May's heart broke. It was her fault—all her fault that Drew became the way that he did. She cheated on him, betrayed his trust, and went two whole months without contacting him.

Despite him telling her not to, the least she could have done was called him, even if it was just to see how he was doing. They could have spent the trial period as friends, like she did with Gary. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to hug him and hold him close while she apologized to him over and over again.

"H-how has he been lately?" she asked softly, trying to keep her voice from breaking. "Has he gotten any better?"

_Oh please, _please_, tell me he's gotten better_, she prayed silently.

She decided at that moment she didn't care if he had moved on from her or not. Just so long as he was feeling better and was doing well, she wouldn't mind losing him until she could find a way to win him back. It was her turn to be hurt, and he had every right to do it thoroughly.

"He's still training nonstop, but health-wise, he is doing a lot better. He's eating and drinking normally, and getting enough sleep from what I can see, so don't worry," Gloria informed, watching as May's face changed from severely devastated to incredibly relieved. Her insides warmed at the amount of concern that the girl displayed for Drew. "You really do care about him, don't you?"

"More than anything," May affirmed immediately. "And I feel awful about hurting him—he must hate me."

As soon as the words left her mouth, May stiffened and she widened her eyes at Gloria. She thought that the woman was ignorant about her and Drew's situation, so she worried that she had just brought it up unnecessarily.

But when Gloria suddenly smiled in a knowing manner, she immediately knew that Gloria was not as ignorant as she had thought.

"Gloria, do you—do you know about what happened between Drew and I?" she asked, just to receive confirmation.

Gloria nodded as she folded her hands together on her lap.

"I do—Drew has always told me everything," she confirmed, a warm smile on her face. "And you can rest assure, honey, that you have nothing to worry about. Drew never hated you, even for a second. He was also never angry with you. All he thought about was whether or not you were going to be happy in the end when you made your decision."

May bit down hard on her lower lip, trying hard to keep it from quivering. "Where is he right now?" she asked shakily.

"He's currently participating in a contest," Gloria answered.

"Do you think I could go to him there?"

Gloria nodded and May listened intently as she gave the directions to the city's Contest Hall. When she was done, May immediately thanked her and hurried out of the house.

The speed at which the sidewalk was going was much too slow for her, and so she ran down it in her haste. Once she exited the neighborhood, she whipped out the map of LaRousse City on her PokéNav and determined the quickest route to the Contest Hall. The PokéBalls on her bracelet clanged together as she ran down those sidewalks as well. She didn't stop until she reached her destination.

The Contest Hall building was located not too far away from Drew's neighborhood, but May still found herself completely out of breath when she reached the building. She had never run so hard in her life. Her lungs felt like they were going to explode out of her chest, and her legs screamed in protest as they ached. She placed her hands on her knees to brace herself as she caught her breath.

A couple deep breaths later, she was well rested enough to actually enter through the glass doors of the futuristic building. The yearn to see Drew gave her enough adrenaline to run on to push on forward, despite her nerves and aching legs.

The lobby was empty, completely free of even a single person. Every person in the building was seated in the stands of the large stage room. May crept into the nearest row of seats at the bottom of the stands and sat down in a spot that would conceal her while she watched the final battle (according to the girl beside her) rage on.

Drew's roserade fired a Sludge Bomb at its opponents' feet from one of its roses.

The opposing trainer, Samuel, gritted his teeth as his pokémon, a typhlosion and an espeon, cried out as their feet were coated in the poisonous purple substance. He opened his mouth to bark out commands, completely unwilling to accept defeat after working so hard to reach the final round.

"Typhlosion, Fire Blast! Espeon, Psybeam!"

Both pokémon cried out in response to their trainer and opened their mouths to release their respective attacks. A large character of flames blasted out of Typhlosion's mouth as a colorful ray of lights flew out of Espeon's, both headed straight for Roserade.

The grass pokémon readied its stance, bracing itself until its trainer decided on a method to counterattack.

"Push back that Fire Blast with Flamethrower, Growlithe!" Drew commanded.

Growlithe obeyed and unleashed a gigantic funnel of flames that flew out and crashed into the Fire Blast, pushing it back and away from Roserade. It exploded into smoke just before it reached Typhlosion.

"Now, bring it back around to that Psybeam!"

The flames traveled over into the path of the ray of lights. It intercepted it and blocked it, thus throwing itself into a struggle against the Psybeam to win the upper hand.

May assessed both of Drew's pokémon. They both had gotten much stronger and bigger in the past two months than the last time she saw them, especially Growlithe.

Drew had indeed been training a lot; it was completely evident. If Roserade and Growlithe were still capable of growing, then she didn't want to imagine the size of his gyarados. Just the thought of one of his favorite pokémon made her shudder involuntarily.

She smiled at the way that he battled—so full of confidence and finesse—and noted the slight changes in the otherwise same way that he commanded his pokémon. His voice was more authoritative and firm, making him sound even more sure of himself than before, if that were even possible. But it still possessed the same effect on her.

Somehow, watching him battle just made her love him all the more, and she wanted nothing more at the moment than to interrupt the battle and throw her arms around him. She prayed to Arceus that he would forgive her for everything and take her back, regardless of their two months spent apart.

The battle was almost over at that time. The clock counted down to its final ten seconds and each pokémon put everything into their final attacks to end the battle.

Typhlosion and Espeon had already shot a Flamethrower and Hyper Beam at Roserade respectively, intent on taking it out before the buzzer went off.

Roserade lifted one of its roses and pointed it in the direction of the oncoming Hyper Beam. As the flower gathered energy from the light in the room, Growlithe ran straight into the flames of the Flamethrower. The crowd gasped as it became a blur in the flames, running with incredible speed without being affected at all by the heat.

Typhlosion cried out when Growlithe suddenly broke out of the flames just a few feet before it. It soared through the sky and tackled the large typhlosion to the ground, pinning it beneath its paws. The pokémon opened its mouth in preparation for the Crunch attack that Drew had commanded, and sunk its bared teeth into its pokèmon's neck.

The fire-type writhed beneath its counterpart, but Growlithe held on for its life.

Roserade finally let loose the Solarbeam when it felt that the time was right. The large beam of white shot forward and collided with the Hyper Heam, connecting with it to create what looked like one single white funnel.

The audience and judges strained to see which attack had the upper hand over the other, but they had difficulty seeing where the Hyper Beam and the Solarbeam began.

The buzzer went off right when Typhlosion seized its writhing and Espeon was suddenly thrown back by the white beam. All eyes turned to the scoreboard to find that the winner of the match had been Drew, thus winning him the entire contest.

The judges praised him for his outstanding performance—even the laconic Mr. Suziko saying more than just "remarkable"—and everyone cheered as he bowed with his pokémon, roaring in delight when he gave a slight smirk.

May's stomach fluttered as Drew was presented with the contest ribbon, eying his smirk with nostalgic pleasure. She clapped along with the rest of the audience, feeling proud of him and with her stomach fluttering.

He accepted the ribbon from Mr. Contesta and gave the crowd a moment to ravish him with applause before stepping off of the stage. He exited the room with Samuel, who was also applauded for congratulating Drew.

And then everyone began to file out of the stands.

May was suddenly very nervous as she tried to get past the crowd in order to get to Drew. She was afraid of what lay ahead of her. Her hands grew clammy as she thought about all the possible ways that he could react.

Hopefully, all would turn out well, but she wouldn't blame him if he wanted to inflict as much pain on her as possible. She deserved it, and he had every right to do so. She just hoped that they still had a chance to rekindle their relationship.

To her utmost relief, Drew was stopped at the entrance of the contest building by a few fangirls, who wanted his autograph, giving her just enough time to catch up to him. She stopped just short of where he was and waited rather anxiously for them to walk away so that she could call to him.

When they did, she immediately opened her mouth to get his attention.

"Drew!"

Drew visibly stiffened at the sound of May's voice. He turned around slowly, trying to pinpoint her location with his eyes in the crowd of people in the packed lobby. Once he found her, his face immediately erupted in shock. He looked as if he had been hit in the face by a massive PokéBall.

May hurried past the group of people then, pushing through some people in her haste. Drew watched her as she got closer and closer to him.

Her feet came to a stop right in front of him. She barely managed to stop herself from flinging her arms around his neck. Holding back, she opened her mouth and forced out the only three words that mattered despite her lack of breath.

"I choose you," she declared.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Lol, no pokémon pun intended at the end there. xD Please leave a review for this chappie, and remember, everyone—_three _chapters left! See you next week. :)


	40. Holding Back and Letting Go

**Update August 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>I'm finally home, guys! :D Haha. And what a terrible flight I had...I'm definitely not a flying person. And saying goodbye to family is just about the hardest things I'll ever have to do.<p>

Anyways, I just wanted to remind you all that this is **NOT **the final chapter! There are still** two more chapters** left! Remember that!

_**Responses toReviews...  
>TheRoseOfDeath:<strong>__ Haha, I have to finish my other Contestshipping fic, _Absol_, first. ;D  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Really? Now I'm even more upset that I won't get to rid the underground ones. Dx  
><em>_**dorkyreader859: **__Thank you very much! :D  
><em>_**Angel-of-Energy:**__ Thanks so much, sweetie! I hope you enjoy it the second time around if you do re-read it! :D  
><em>_**PorcelainDollxx:**__ They will be answered this chapter, I promise! Thanks for favoriting!  
><em>_**Inkorporated:**__ I'm sorry for not listening to you, Samia, and thank you for being right! xD I'm super excited! I can't wait to get back! I miss everything—my dad, my dog, my other family, my friends, my phone, etc! Congrats on getting the new iPhone! It's going to be worth the wait, I'm telling you right now. I had to go without my phone for two months before getting the 4S, too. :)  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ I sure hope so! I'd smile so hard, I'm sure my cheeks would be sore all day! :D  
><em>_**Blademon:**__ Haha, I'm glad you think so! xD  
><em>_**Jace'sVampiress97:**__ :D  
><em>_**Guest:**__ Thank you very much! German's so cool! A friend of mine had a German exchange student for two weeks, and I always thought it sounded so cool! Is it hard to speak, though? I couldn't make all those guttural noises if I tried. :\  
><em>_**FlygonFan: **__Goodness, looks like you've got a whole plot going there! I'll let you know when I want a cameo whenever I can think of a good cameo for you to insert. :) You don't owe me anything, sweetheart—look at all the reviewing and reading you did!  
><em>_**Acetrainer777:**__ Thank you loads, darling!  
><em>_**animeartist123:**__ Ahhh, I'm not doing that. :)  
><em>_**Ai-chan:**__ Hahaha! Eager, are we? xD  
><em>_**theasianwonder:**__ It will! :D  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ Haha, you know me! xD  
><em>_**contestshippingrose:**__ Thank you, sunshine!  
><em>_**Guest:**__ Sorry! Only weekly updates! I wish I could do daily, but that's too much! :(__**  
>Guest:<strong>__ Only after I finish my other one, _Absol_! Go check that out if you're interested! It's Contestshipping, too! :D  
><em>_**61wisampa:**__ Okiedokey! Thanks, bud! :D  
><em>_**shanasakura-scarlet21:**__ Thank you! :)  
><em>_**BlueJeanne:**__ I don't know, really. It was just a description of some random book! You readers get to decide what book it was! xP  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ I'd gladly extend this story even more, if only I had planned more events! Hahah, "I choose you"s more effective in my opinion, especially in a Contestshipping fic! xD  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ Thanks! ;P  
><em>_**leontinees: **__Haha, aw, don't cry! ;D  
><em>_**Chaerin:**__ You know, I like Chaerin better, too. It's very unique. :) I wish I could actually hug you, too! You're such a sweetie! *hugs*  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ I sure hope I do! :D  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ Lol, thank you for that! :)  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ Thesaurus? :)  
><em>_**KK:**__ Thank you!  
><em>_**Contestshippingf:**__ Thanks!  
><em>_**LillieGhoul:**__ Lol, thank you! I hope I reach it! :)  
><em>_**Queerly-Called-DaNdElloNs:**__ Thank you! I really appreciate it! :]  
><em>_**Ktran96:**__ Haha, that's me! Seriously, I didn't mean it! ;D  
><em>_**Kaurz9802:**__ Lol, that's why I left it! To clarify! :D  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ I have a chihuahua, and she's so tiny, she runs all over the place like a bullet! Haha, fifty chapters is far too much! I'd love to, but where would I get the plot? ;D  
><em>_**Guest:**__ He's back! :D  
><em>_**Otaku'25:**__ Thank you! It's because I have such amazing readers and reviewers like you that I just had to add two more chapters! And plus, I was feeling particularly inspired. :)  
><em>_**parkhyunjae:**__ That's what I always say! No, _you're _amazing! :D  
><em>_**PokemonPotter:**__ Oh my, thank you so much for being that excited! :D_

* * *

><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 40<strong>

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><p>The number of people in the lobby of the Contest Hall gradually dwindled away. The sun was setting outside, and they were all either eager to get to their appointments, or to get home to change for the Contest After Party.<p>

Drew and May, however, remained standing in place in absolute silence.

May could feel her anxiety building as she stared into Drew's emerald green eyes. Arceus, how she had missed them—and him. But his silence was making her uneasy. It was stressing her out, making her fret over whether or not he could forgive her. If he didn't answer her soon, she would spontaneously combust.

Meanwhile, Drew was still awestruck; completely spellbound as he stared into May's sapphire blue eyes. He searched them very intensely with his own, trying to detect even the slightest trace of anything that wasn't absolute sincerity.

"You made your choice?" he asked solemnly, slightly skeptic of her.

May nodded firmly, resisting the urge to breathe out in relief.

"Yes, I made it," she told him, the expression on her face as valid as it was relieved to get the words out. "And it's you. I choose you, Drew."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Drew refused to believe a word that she said unless she managed to completely convince him. He had already exposed himself to so much hurt from her; he wasn't about to do it again. While he didn't blame her for any of her actions, he wasn't going to make himself vulnerable anymore.

"What made you reach your decision?" he asked.

May dwelled on the explanation that she could possibly give him. While it needed to be accurate, it also needed to be convincing for Drew obviously didn't seem too convinced. But she couldn't blame him; she could honestly say herself that she would have been just as skeptic had she been in his shoes.

Ultimately, she decided that the shortest explanation was the most appropriate one.

"I realized, that while I most likely had feelings for Gary, they didn't compare to the feelings I have for you," she declared, her tone honest and strong. "I love you—not him."

Drew tried to ignore the joyful flop in his stomach as he took notice of her use of past tense.

"And you realized that on your own?" he asked.

"No, I did with the help of some of my friends. They supported me and assured me that I would make the right decision. Brendan, Ash, Brianna, Misty, Leaf—they all helped to put me in the right direction."

"And it took two months?"

May flinched slightly at the brusqueness in his voice, but kept in mind that she deserved it, just like he deserved the truth. After taking a deep breath, she began to fill him in on the past two months.

How she spent the past two months rekindling her friendship with Gary. How it had remained platonic the entire time and was destined to remain that way forever. How she spent the past two months torn over her feelings for the two of them.

How often she thought about him. How she had read his letter so many times that the paper practically folded over by itself. How Leaf had helped her the most by enlightening her with her thoughts. How she had missed him so much in their time apart. How her feelings for him completely overpowered the ones she had for Gary and turned them into nothing.

How she didn't love Gary, only him. She filled him in on everything.

By the end, Drew was once again in disbelief. It was a protective wall that his mind set up in order to prevent any more damage to be done to him. He hadn't spent the past two months preparing himself in case of her rejection, only to make himself vulnerable to it again.

It had been a dreadful experience for him, because it was painful and unknown. Once again, May had led him to experience something new, and at first, he didn't know how to cope. He didn't know what he was to do. He had never been cheated on before.

And so, he occupied his time by intensely training his pokémon, something that was both unhealthy for them and for him. It was absolutely dreadful, and he was not going to let her back into his life unless he could be sure that it wouldn't happen to him again.

"What guarantee do I have that this won't happen again?" he demanded coldly. "How do I know that you're not going to suddenly decide a week or so from now that you made the wrong decision? How do you expect for me to believe you, if I don't even know if I can trust you anymore?"

Though May couldn't pretend that his words hadn't vexed her, she certainly wasn't phased. Taking one more step closer to him, she met him firmly in the eyes. She wasn't going to falter, for one sign of hesitation was more than enough for him to doubt her.

She wouldn't let that happen, especially when she was so sure of herself. She had made her choice, and no amounts of anything would change it.

"You mean, other than the fact that I traveled here all the way from Pallet Town _just_ to find you?" she challenged. "I wouldn't be here in front of you right now if I had even the slightest room for any wavering thoughts. I wouldn't have traveled across a couple regions to find you so that I could tell you all of this unless I were absolutely certain that I only want you. And I definitely wouldn't be saying all these things to win your trust back.

"I know that I haven't exactly given you any reason to believe me after what I did, but I can give you my word that nothing like that will be happening again. I was confused then, because my feelings for Gary were still in the picture. But they're not anymore—they're gone for good, and that's why I'm here.

"I'm here, because you're my choice. I'm here, because I only want you. I'm here, because because I love you, and only you. I promise you that."

Drew could feel the wall come crashing down then. The force that had been knocking on it on the inside had prevailed, and he was completely ready to take her back, to throw all cautions to the wind.

He loved her, and believed her entirely. And now, that she had traveled all the way to LaRousse for him, he wanted nothing more than for them to go on as if the past two months hadn't happened. He wanted to go back to the way things used to be. He wanted to be with her again.

He had missed her so much that just the mere sight of her before him made his heart swell with glee. The past two months weren't made unbearable because of his inability to cope with being cheated on; it was the longing he had to see her. He had missed her so much that the time they spent apart seemed a lot longer than it really was. He loved her, and since now that she had finally reached her decision and returned to him, he was never going to let her go again. He just needed the confirmation one more time.

"May, are you completely sure about this?" he asked.

May smiled involuntarily at the sound of her name on his lips; it had been so long since she heard it fresh out of his mouth. She took another step closer to him and met his eyes with nothing but sincerity in hers.

"Like I said, I'm here, aren't I? Would I be if I wasn't?" she offered lightheartedly, and then her tone went serious. "I never stopped thinking about you, Drew. You were on my mind the entire time that you were gone. Two months was too long a time without you, and I don't ever want a repetition." She met his eyes then with the utmost passion. "I love you, and I don't ever want to be without you again. Please believe me."

That was all Drew needed.

Without another word, he wrapped his arms around her waist and yanked her into him, attaching his lips to hers in a bruising kiss. May didn't even have to think before she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back feverishly, making up for all the time lost in the past two months.

Drew responded eagerly, desperate to feed the longing for her that he had had for the entire time they spent apart.

There were a few memorable kisses in his lifetime, but May's kisses outshone them all. Every kiss just got better than the last.

He still remembered when they kissed for the first time, in a way that was so accidental that it didn't even count. Their first kiss together, that had surpassed every single kiss that he had ever shared with any girl who wasn't her. The amazing kiss she gave him on his first birthday that they spent together, that made his head spin. The brief kisses at any random time of day to show affection. The first time he kissed her in front of the public after she beat him in the contest before Christmas. The kiss after they first confessed their love to one another. Every kiss they had shared during their most intimate of moments. The kisses that made her moan into his mouth and got him more aroused than ever before in his life. Their first New Year's Kiss together.

And then there was the kiss that they were currently sharing, full of sweetness, caring, and meaning. It made up for the time they spent apart. It spoke of a promise to never go that long without one another again. It said more than any words possibly could. It caused their heads to spin and pulses to race. It was all passionate love and fervor. It was all they needed.

When they finally pulled away, they remained in one another's arms and pressed their foreheads together.

"I'm so sorry it took so long for me to decide," May whispered to him.

"I would have waited even longer if this was the same outcome that I would get," Drew responded breathlessly. He kissed her nose. "I love you, May."

"I love you, too, Drew. So much."

Drew smiled at the words and moved his lips to plant a kiss on her forehead. Then, he moved them over to her eyebrow, kissed it, and then trailed them down to her cheek, and then even lower. They glided across her face and jawline, pressing sweet kisses against her skin that made her heart flutter.

"You're really laying it on heavy with the PDA there, Andrew," May joked while he continued to pepper her face with kisses. "People are watching, you know."

"Well, would you like me to stop?" he inquired against her skin.

"Not really, but I'm sure everyone else might."

Drew chuckled and pulled away from her, only to take her hand in his to lead her out of the building.

"Let's go take a walk in the city," he suggested. "I want to spend some time alone with you before we go back to my house for dinner."

May furrowed her eyebrows. "Aren't you going to the Contest After Party?"

"No. I'd much rather spend time with you to make up for the time we lost."

May smiled in agreement as she and Drew stepped onto a moving sidewalk. She stood silently beside him, all the while holding onto his hand. She watched him as he practically glowed with happiness, which made her swell with affection for him.

She had made the right decision—every part of her body said so, but she still couldn't kick the guilt. She had still hurt him, and she promised herself that she would do everything in her power to make up for the pain she caused.

For the time being, though, she just wanted to forget that there was anything ever wrong in their relationship. She just wanted to enjoy her time with him.

"I used to take Alta to that bakery all the time when we were still kids," Drew informed, pointing to a quaint little bakery that the sidewalk took them past. "Against my will, of course."

"You know you loved spending time with your sister," May insisted with a laugh. "She's so awesome, how could you've not?"

"I guess, but I'm more awesome, right?"

May pretended to struggle as she threaded her arm through his. She rested her chin on his shoulder while she whined, "Don't make me choose."

Drew laughed at her and craned his neck to kiss the top of her head.

Smiling, she lifted her head in time to steal a quick peck.

To that, he laughed and stole one from her as well.

While feeling rather giddy, May let her eyes wander around the city as her tour guide gave her a brief tour of the area that he had grown up in. They must have made a lap around the Contest Hall before they began to head back to Drew's house.

On the way, something in a shop caught May's eye, and she tugged on his arm to get his attention.

"Can we go into that bookstore? I want to get that book," she said, while pointing at the novel that she recognized to be the one she was reading at the café in Pallet.

"Sure. Have you read it before?" Drew inquired. He led her off the sidewalk and in the direction of the store.

"Some of it, but I didn't finish. I still remember where I left off though."

Drew simply nodded as they reached the door of the store. Inside the store, he waited patiently for her to purchase her book after she convinced him to let her pay. Afterward, they decided to go back to Drew's house, seeing that the sun had already begun to set.

There, Gloria greeted them warmly and excitedly to find that they had gotten back together. She instantly set about cooking dinner, which she set out for the two immediately. It was almost as if she were rushing to get them out of her presence so that they could have some time to themselves. May smiled at the thought.

"So, what are we doing now?" Drew asked after he and May went up to his room. He closed the door behind himself.

May sat down on the soft bed and gave it a few bounces to get herself comfortable.

"Just so long as I'm with you, I'm willing to do anything," she answered.

Drew saw an opening to tease her, and waggled his brows. "Anything?"

"Are you back to your perverted self again?" she asked, trying to sound solemn, but came out amused instead. She had missed his innocent innuendoes.

"Babe, I've been my same ol' perverted self since day one."

May chuckled at his joke while he came closer to her. When he knelt down low enough before her at the end of the bed to kiss her, she responded eagerly. Her legs hooked around his thighs and her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her as he did she to him.

He leaned forward, guiding her down with her back against his navy blue comforter. His hands stroked her body, while he sucked and tugged on her lips.

She moaned, feeling quite content as a warmth in her belly began to spread out throughout her body.

"Arceus, I missed you," she murmured against his lips.

Drew pulled away, only to trail them down her neck.

"You won't believe how much I missed you, too," he muttered back. "And this—you feel incredible." He stopped when his lips encountered something around her neck, and he pulled back briefly to see what it was.

"You're wearing my necklace?" he asked with a growing smile.

She nodded with a smile of her own. "Of course. 'My love for you, always and forever', right?" she responded cheekily, and then reached up to cup his neck to recapture his lips.

The two didn't say anything after that until after they ran out of breath. But it was a while before that happened, a result of the two months they spent without one another. They had both missed the intimacy, and so wouldn't let go until they had enough of one another. Every kiss and caress was sweet, and they didn't want them to stop unless absolutely necessary.

Drew fell down on the bed beside her after they eventually did to catch his breath.

"I'm so sorry for making you wait so long," May suddenly whispered after regaining her breath.

"For what? For making out?" Drew joked, even though he knew what she was referring to. "It's okay, if that's what you mean. You could always start making up for it now."

May chuckled softly and lightly smacked his bicep. "You know what I mean."

"I do—I was just yanking your chain," he insisted. "You didn't make me wait long at all."

"But Gloria told me that you trained your pokémon a lot as if it were your business or something."

"I'll admit—I did, but that was just me trying to get my mind off of the situation," he admitted. "It was a new thing for me, and I had difficulty coping. Training my pokémon was what helped me cope."

May felt her heart wrench and she turned to look at him. "I'm so sorry for that, Drew."

He immediately turned over and cupped her face in his.

"Hey, hey, hey," he hurried to say. "Don't blame yourself for that. I forgive you."

May turned to look into his eyes with an apologetic look in hers, but after receiving a warning glare from him, she sighed and scooted over to wiggle into his chest. She pressed her cheek against it, and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm never letting you go again," she declared.

His chuckles reverberated off of his chest, making May look up at him in bemusement. He met her eyes briefly before he kissed her forehead and chuckled again.

"I feel like, if our lives were one of those clichéd romance movies, I would have been the one telling you that," he joked.

"Well, they're _not_ a clichéd romance movie," May laughed, and snuggled further into him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he replied instantly as he hugged her closer.

They lay together into each other's arms for a good amount of time, just enjoying each other's company. They didn't speak, for they didn't want to ruin the moment with words when it was already so perfect in its silence.

Sometime as they held one another, they even fell asleep, too. And just like May had remembered, the sleep was blissful and full of the most wonderful dreams ever, every one involving a certain green-haired guy she knew and loved.

Drew was the first to stir awake out of the two of them. He tried to stretch, but then he remembered the girl in his arms. Smiling to himself, he gave her a gentle jostle in his arms to wake her up.

"May, time to get up," he whispered. "Come on. I want to show you something."

May groaned in her sleep and turned to bury her face into his chest. With a contented sigh, she mumbled a question into his chest.

"What was that?"

"What time is it?" she repeated, more loudly. "It's so dark."

"Oh. It's like..." He checked his watch. "It's almost midnight."

May yawned, her mouth forming an endearing little circle.

"Why'd you wake me up?" she asked groggily. "I was going to sleep 'til morning."

Drew chuckled and slowly pulled the both of them up into a sitting position. She frowned at him as he took her hand and pulled her off the bed as well.

He ignored her as she whined, continuing to drag her out of his room. To her dismay, the journey didn't stop until they were down the hallway and in front of a door. He opened it, and then led her up the staircase that it revealed.

"Where are you taking me?" May asked.

"To the roof," Drew answered.

May furrowed her eyebrows. "The _roof_? Why?"

Drew didn't answer immediately. Instead, he continued to lead her up the staircase until he reached another door. Pushing it open, he led her all the way to the rooftop, where he waved his hand in the air as if presenting the sky to her.

"Because I wanted to share the stars with you," he said to her with a smile.

May laughed out loud, while taking in the beauty of night sky as she walked along the rooftop. "You're extremely corny, you know that?"

"I know, but it's in my nature," Drew answer simply as he wrapped a muscular arm around her midsection from behind. With his other hand, he presented her with a bright red rose. "Besides, this is kind of like the first time we slept together out in the rose field. I wanted to relive the memory."

May gave another laugh as she accepted his rose. "How sweet," she smiled, and then leaned up to kiss his cheek. "You'd be even sweeter if you brought us some snacks."

"You always have to eat, don't you?" he asked jokingly. "I think Gloria left some cut-up berries in the kitchen. Let me go get them."

May waited for Drew as he hurried down to the kitchen to grab the snack from the kitchen, along with two bottles of water. Afterward, he went back up to his bedroom, where he grabbed two thick blankets for he and May to share.

He found her sitting on the rooftop when he went back up.

"Here you go," he said as he presented the berries to her.

May smiled her thanks and took off the plastic lid of the container. Taking one toothpick from the stack, she pierced a pecha berry and stuck it in her mouth.

"Where are we headed next?" Drew suddenly asked after eating a few berries. "To travel to, I mean."

"I was thinking Goldenrod City. The Grand Festival's coming up there soon, so we might as well head there for you."

"Do you have enough ribbons?"

May shook her head. "No, so I'll sit out to cheer for you. I could always kick your butt at next year's festival."

Drew smirked at her while he set up the blankets. "So confident, huh?"

"Uh huh."

"Is that a promise, then?"

"Yep," May confirmed with a smirk of her own. They chuckled and then she turned to gaze up at stars while he worked. "The stars are pretty."

Drew settled down on his side on the blankets and patted the spot on the blanket beside him.

Once May situated herself against his chest, he wrapped an arm around her midsection and asked, "Would you like one?"

May furrowed her eyebrows at him, confused by what he meant.

With a chuckle, he pushed away from her to grab five toothpicks from the pile beside the berries. Demonstrating what he meant, he snapped five toothpicks in half, he placed them all into the shape of a five-pointed asterisk on the rooftop beside the blanket. Then, he took his bottle of water and very, very carefully tipped it over above the center of the asterisk.

A few drops of water fell onto the center, seeping through the thin cracks between the broken toothpicks. May watched in amazement as the water slowly pushed the toothpicks apart, steadily pushing the asterisk open to create a star.

"Where in the world did you come up with an idea like that?" she asked him as she smiled in disbelief.

"My dad used to do it for my mom all the time," he answered, crossing his legs as he sat up. "He loves her, so he did it. I love you, so I'm doing it."

"You're so incredibly corny," May laughed and kissed his lips once. She sat up to snuggle into him.

Drew caught the trace of remorse when she sighed against his chest. He looked down at her in question, and she pouted as she met his eyes.

"I'm sorry I missed your birthday," she murmured.

Drew gave her a forgiving smile before kissing her head. "It's okay," he insisted. "I don't mind."

"But_ I_ do. I wanted to be with you..."

"I have one every year—you can be with me next year. It's not like I'm not going to force you to spend it with me, anyways."

May let out a laugh as she tilted her head back to rest on his shoulder.

"You won't have to force me if I willingly spend it with you," she pointed out, and then her eyes wandered down to his hands, which were hanging idly on his knees.

She eyed the water bottle in one of them with slight dismay.

"Is there anything we can drink besides water?" she asked.

An idea dawned in Drew's head, which brought along an extremely exciting memory. "We could have some hot chocolate," he offered with a suggestive smirk.

May caught his drift, and the memory filled her mind as well. Grinning, she asked, "Could you grab some whipped cream, too?"

"For the rawst berries?"

"Of course."

Drew didn't need to be asked twice. He instantly hurried down to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate and grabbed some whipped cream. When added with the rawst berries, the three things were the formula for one heck of a teasing session, that commenced immediately when Drew returned.

Of course, the makeout session that followed wasn't shabby either.

And as they kissed one another on top of the blanket beneath the stars, they couldn't help but think about how perfectly happy they were with how everything turned out for them. Each kiss, each caress, and each sigh expressed their feelings for one another.

As he held her to him, all he could feel was contentment and love, while she felt nothing but security and love in his arms. She never wanted him to let her go. If it were possible, she would have been completely fine with remaining in his arms for the rest of their lives. But of course, they had to let go eventually.

By the time they actually pulled apart, their hot chocolates were ice cold.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Not over yet, guys! Two more to go! Hope you enjoyed this! See you next week! :D


	41. An Oak Sprouts a Leaf

**Update August 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>Yeah, I know, I updated late again. But hey, it's not my fault that my brain decided that it wanted to change up this chapter a bit at the last minute to make it as satisfying as possible! I'm seriously sorry, guys. This was a particularly hard chapter for me to write, so I hope you all understand me. An hour isn't that late anyway, right? Heh heh...<p>

But anyway...

I swear, I did _not_ expect to reach 1,000 reviews already, and I don't think I could ever thank you guys enough. I thought I'd have to wait until at least after this chapter, but you wonderful people actually helped me to reach 1,000 yesterday! Thank you all so much! I literally could not stop smiling! I could finally cross another thing off my bucket list! You're all so amazing! Please keep those reviews coming, because my appreciation for them certainly hasn't stopped—and I don't think it ever will!

Thank you all so much, and much love to you all! Now, for all of you Oldrivalshippers out there, this chapter was written especially for you all until I can think of a good plot for the spinoff. Enjoy! :)

_**Responses to Reviews...  
>Inkorporated:<strong>__ Haha, I didn't think the title would be misleading. And yes, I have a dog—she's my baby. ;D I'm sorry! I'm lucky that it did!  
><em>_**apreala:**__ Yes! My story isn't considered cliché! Thank you! :D  
><em>_**berriesxcakes101:**__ Thank you very much!  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ :D  
><em>_**Acetrainer777:**__ Thanks!  
><em>_**theasianwonder:**__ Haha, I'm glad!  
><em>_**Tinytogepilover:**__ Oh, I didn't even see that! The laptop that I was using made the font too small for me to see clearly! Thanks for pointing it out! :D  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Seriously? I don't know if it was due to the early hour or not, but the skytrains were practically empty! Very soothing ride. :)  
><em>_**EeveeTransformed:**__ Well, I need a little cliché here and there. ;D Psh, I wouldn't mind extending it—too bad I'm fresh out of ideas! Wah! Hahaha, that's so funny, and I'm totally with you on the pictures of Tom Felton. Have you ever seen his _Fault_ magazine photoshoot? *Drools*_  
><strong><em>Guest:<em>**_ That, my dear, is called some heavy making out. ;D  
><em>_**eletrickarmax3:**__ It's alright! You still reviewed at least once, and I must thank you for that! Thank you for the support!  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Oh, I could never imagine Ash being with May or Dawn; they're all kind of like siblings, you know? I'm sorry, but there probably won't be a sequel. I'm done. xD Haha, I updated late because I just got back from the airport! Too tired to get on Fanfiction!  
><em>_**SparksFly'SkyHigh:**__ Lol, no, I actually took the line from the thirtieth chapter of this story. I didn't copy anyone. xD  
><em>_**eonentity22:**__ Haha, thank you, thank you very much. xD  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ I know. One more chapter to go. xP  
><em>_**eeveeluvr:**__ :D  
><em>_**contestshippingrose:**__ I update every weekend! Next weekend will be my last. :P  
><em>_**Guest:**__ Corny Drew ftw! ;D  
><em>_**xstaticgurlxx:**__ Oh gosh, how in the world could I fit that into the plot? Lol, I'd have to bump up the rating from T to M.  
><em>_**PorcelainDollxx:**__ I was debating on making her beg, but I couldn't write Drew as such a cold-blooded person. ;D  
><em>_**Horselover:**__ Unfortunately, I'm just going to leave this story as it is. I just can't see a sequel for it. :P  
><em>_**AzukiDoll:**__ Oh, you can do that? Why am I just now finding these things out? O_o Lol, naturally, French kissing will come with making out. ;D  
><em>_**AdorableMe:**__ It's fine! People forget sometimes. :) Lol, they're too young to get married! They just got out of high school, after all! You can read fanfics on the Nook? Thank you!  
><em>_**xDragonairx:**__ It's okay! I need a job. :\ Nooo, I did not marry them—they're too young. I'm going to have to postpone _Absol_, because all of the inspiration for it has been sucked dry. I'm currently in the process of rewriting it. :\  
><em>_**shanasakura-scarlet21:**__ Well, I do love me some hot chocolate-induced make-out sessions. ;D Have fun reading this chapter if you're thinking about Leaf and Gary!  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Wait, you just had _winter_ break? What in the world? It's still summer where I am! o_O No, I must thank _you_ all for supporting me! I wouldn't have written this if I didn't get the wonderful support that you all gave me. :D  
><em>_**Otaku'25:**__ Thank you! :D  
><em>_**Mistress of Madness:**__ I had a lot of fun portraying Jimmy; he's such a funny and sweet guy! Lol, I think 'he' would work just fine—being gay doesn't make Harley a girl. And yes, Brock got Solidad! Surprise, huh? :D Thank you for reading my fic!  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ Haha, I'm torn as well. xD Thank you very much!  
><em>_**Sunny:**__ No, it's alright! I think it's really refreshing! I understand; I'm like that with Chinese. I'm great at speaking it, but I couldn't write it or read a lot of it to save my life. Have fun on your vacation!  
><em>_**Contestshippingf:**__ Oh, I adore Brunetteshipping—I honestly don't understand it, either. :P Did you have fun on vacation?  
><em>_**LoveIsMayxDrewAndAshxMisty:**__ Aw, I'm sorry I made you cry!  
><em>_**citrasama:**__ Haha, I'm glad you did! :D  
><em>_**:**__ You're so generous—thank you! :)  
><em>_**Sora-May:**__ Thank you! I can't believe I actually made you emotional. Sorry. :P  
><em>_**KK:**__ I know, right? ;D  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesom: **__Thank you very much! :)  
><em>_**parkhyunjae:**__ Thank you so much! :D Ah, yes—Drew and his innuendos! Haha!  
><em>_**Guest:**_ _No, _you're_ amazing! :)_

* * *

><p><strong>Love Unexpected chapter 41<strong>

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><p>Many weeks passed since May's departure, and Leaf had struggled for every day of those weeks. Not a night had passed when she hadn't gone to bed with an aching heart.<p>

Every day at the crack of dawn, she would rise out of bed in order to get ready for the day. She would brush her teeth, wash her face, shower, and then get dressed. After that, she would gather her hair into a ponytail and leave her room.

A short breakfast was the next thing, usually consisting of nothing more than a plate of scrambled eggs, with toast and a few slices of hondew berries. She rarely found time to make anything else, especially since she barely even had time to finish the meal. And the only beverage that she ever drank was coffee for without her daily dose of caffeine, there was no way for her to remain on her feet.

Research took up the remaining time after breakfast before lunch. She would scurry about the large lab of her late mentor, helping out the lab assistants whenever it was necessary and making sure that everything ran smoothly. She hardly found time to stop for something as simple as a glass of water to replenish her thirst. That usually had to wait until lunchtime for her.

Lunch was just as short of a meal as breakfast was, perhaps even shorter. A cup of instant noodles was usually the food of choice since it saved both time to cook and eat. A little bit of hot water from the water cooler and the dish was ready within five minutes time. If she felt hungry afterward, she would fill the remaining space in her belly by drinking cups of water.

Tending to the pokémon at the lab was always the next on the daily agenda. She enjoyed it the most, for she loved the interaction with the pokémon. They all got accustomed to seeing her face at certain times of the day, and often greeted her enthusiastically. She would check up on them in each individual area of the vast fields in the back of the lab, and spare a little time to play with them.

The water pokémon were her favorite since there was a blastoise that she was particularly fond of. She would always spend a little extra time with the large water-type, speaking softly to it for both of their benefits. She needed to report the condition of a certain professor in the lab that the two shared a growing concern for.

Dinnertime was the only time of the day that she got to see him, the professor that she and Blastoise were so concerned about. He would sit at the dining table with her after the cook got the food on the table, rarely speaking to her throughout the course of meal. The only times that they ever did talk was whenever he had a question about the pokémon or the research that she had done earlier on in the day. On the rare occasion that she would inquire about how he was holding up emotionally, he would appear reluctant to answer, and that conversation would somehow wind up on the subject of research again before dying off. It seemed to be the only thing he cared about, what was going on with the lab.

But it wasn't like he didn't do any work throughout the course of the day. If anything, he probably did more than she did.

He had completely engrossed himself in his work ever since that day in February, when he had let go of the most important person in his life after his late grandfather. His broken heart had forced him into working endlessly, with the hopes that maybe, if he worked hard enough, he would be able to forget that person.

Most of the time, the method was successful.

But other times, it was not.

Sometimes, that person's face still managed to force its way into his head. The heart-shaped face of a girl, with the most magnificent eyes that he'd ever seen on anyone, encased in a frame of long, thick lashes. They were blue, like the color of sapphires, and popped like the jewels they were against her ivory-toned skin. Brunette waves always framed her beautiful face, possessing the same, long length that it did before she cut most of it off.

Maybe that's when she cut off her feelings for him off as well.

Regret still plagued him whenever he saw her face, and the reminder that he had waited too long still haunted him. He'd waited too long to tell her of his feelings for her, all because of his arrogance, and in return, he'd lost her. She had moved on to another guy that could make her happier than he could, and thus, could no longer find any place in her heart to hold any feelings for him. Any feelings that weren't platonic, anyway.

It bothered him every day, the thought of what could possibly have happened had he told her about his feelings sooner. Perhaps their relationship could have gone on from being platonic. Perhaps their relationship could have evolved into something romantic. Perhaps _he_ might have never gotten into the picture. Perhaps she'd never have to choose between them. Perhaps she'd never have chosen _him_.

Perhaps everything might have happened differently.

It was tough, living with regret, and the constant wondering of what could have been. It was all because of him that it'd never happened, and so he made sure to blame himself daily for it. There was never a day when he didn't do so.

And then there was the perplexity that he felt every day since her departure as well. But it was perplexity felt toward another brunette girl in his life—Leaf. His late grandfather's last disciple. The girl who had never left his grandfather's lab, even after his death. The girl who was working hard every day to keep the lab running, a job that wasn't hers to begin with. The girl who had stayed.

He didn't understand why she did it—why she didn't just pack up and leave the lab. What was left for her after his grandfather's death? Why had she chosen to stay? Was it because she felt obligated to his grandfather to stay?

He couldn't think of another reason. Surely she wasn't _enjoying_ all of the work, for on the rare days where he actually to looked her, she nearly looked as miserable as he did. The bags under her eyes were becoming more and more evident, she losing more and more weight, and she was looking more and more stressed. So, if an obligation to his grandfather wasn't binding her to the lab, then what was?

Curiosity eventually got the best of him one day, and he finally decided to ask her. He was walking through one of the hallways of the lab, pondering over the possible reasons of her stay as he looked, when he spotted her bustling around one of the research rooms, and so he lingered by the doorway to watch her.

She had a stack of binders in her hand, heading over to a bookshelf, when she stopped in front of a picture frame on a wall. The frame contained a picture of himself and his grandfather happily posing together, taken long before his grandfather's dead. She stood in place for a while, her eyebrows furrowed as she took in the faces of the two professors. The look in her eyes was unreadable as she assessed the faces.

After a moment, she sighed.

"Why did he have to go?" he heard her ask, sadness lacing around the edges of her voice. "Why can't he just come back?"

Assuming that he had found out the reason behind her, he refrained from confronting her then. Thinking that she just missed his grandfather, he pulled away from the doorway and continued down the hallway, allowing her some time to herself to mourn, as well as himself.

It had already been months since his grandfather's death, but not a day had gone by where he didn't think of his grandfather once. He still missed him—nearly every minute of every day—and didn't think he would ever stop. That was another reason why he busied himself with work every day—he needed something to take his mind off his grandpa. He didn't want to be reminded that he no longer had anyone that he loved by his side anymore.

Again, that method only managed to work so many of the times.

Perhaps that's why Leaf worked so hard as well—she didn't want to be reminded of the professor's death, either. She barely spoke to him, and whenever she did, it was always research-related. But on the rare occasion that she'd actually ask about how he was holding up with everything, he wouldn't know how to answer her, and so would stir the conversation back to research. And always not too long after that, the conversation would die. She never tried to start up another one.

That was why he was so surprised when _she_ was the one to confront _him_ later on during that same day. As he was tending to the rapidash at the stables, he saw her coming up to the fence from the corner of his eye.

When he turned around to face her, she offered him a tentative smile.

"Hi," she greeted.

He mustered a small smile in return, ignoring his bewilderment.

"Hey," he greeted back.

A brief, awkward silence followed, and Leaf stuck her hands into the pockets of her white lab coat. For a moment, she forgot what she was there for, and so turned to the rapidash for a conversation topic. She slowly approached the one that Gary was brushing.

"Can I brush her?" she asked.

Gary instantly handed the brush to her without question.

She took it in her hand, ignoring the slight jolt of her heart when their hands met, and immediately started to brush the rapidash. She ran the soft bristles along the gleaming cream-colored fur, gently stroking it along the pokémon's round stomach.

"How's she doing?" she asked, while using her free hand to smooth down the pokémon's hairs.

"She's been doing great," Gary responded as he affectionately stroked the pokémon's fiery mane, marveling at the odd, cooling sensation of the flames. "She's been pacing a lot and pawing at her stall lately, though. I think she might go into labor soon."

"Does her trainer know?"

"He called a few days ago and said that he would be coming soon to check up on her."

"That's good," Leaf murmured with a soft smile, enjoying the the peacefulness in the atmosphere.

"Yeah," Gary muttered, and then slowed his petting of Rapidash to look over at the brunette. "So, what's up, Leaf? You didn't just come out here to ask about Rapidash, did you?"

Leaf blinked her brown eyes once, as if snapping out of a trance. Her hands stilled for a brief moment to recall the reason for her approaching him. They resumed their movements when she did.

"Oh, I was wondering in you wanted to have dinner with me to tonight," she told him, and it was his turn to pause. Their eyes met as they looked over at one another. "I was thinking of making your favorite dinner."

"What's the occasion?" he inquired, an eyebrow raised.

"Did you honestly forget? Today's your birthday."

Gary's eyes slightly widened at the reminder, having had it completely slip his mind. His birthday was the last thing he had been thinking about lately, and he was surprised that she actually remembered.

_May must have told her_, he thought glumly to himself as his heart throbbed at the reminder of the last time he had seen the brunette through the phone. She had called to wish him an early birthday since she wouldn't have time to with the upcoming contests that she was to participate in with Drew.

"Is it really?" he asked, trying to drive away the memory and the sting that it brought.

Leaf nodded, a smile growing on her lips.

"It is. You won't object to me cooking a meal for you, will you? I kind of really want to bake you some of that tiramisu cheesecake that you're so obsessed with," she insisted as she ran the brush along Rapidash's side for the last time. "We should head back now while there's still some hours left of it."

Gary gave a lighthearted chuckle and nodded in agreement.

Working together, the two of them brought the rapidash back into the stables. After replacing each of the pokémon back into their individual stalls, they did a quick check of all the other pokémon in the lab's care before heading back into the building.

Leaf wasted no time when they entered. She immediately washed her hands in the kitchen sink and replaced her white lab coat with an apron, while Gary went ahead to set up the table. Excitement flooded her and she pottered around the kitchen, happily preparing a few of Gary's most favorite dishes for him. It made her happy to be able to cook for him, like it was putting a step forward in their relationship. The food couldn't cook fast enough, and when it finally did, she had to suppress her glee as she placed the plates on the table.

She thoroughly enjoyed dinner that night, delighting in the fact that the conversations that they shared flowed smoothly and without any pauses. She could see more and more of the old happiness that he used to walk around with resurfacing in him—feel the old Gary coming back—and his smiles began to look less and less forced in respect. The meal couldn't have gone any better than she had hoped—just the two of them, sharing a carefree and _happy_ meal. By the time she brought out the dessert, her cheeks hurt slightly from all of the smiling that she had done.

"I have to say, Leaf—I had my doubts when you told me you were making tiramisu cheesecake," Gary joked as he cut off another chunk of the dessert to put into his mouth. "I didn't think you'd succeed, but this is actually pretty good."

Leaf had to smile. "Gee, thanks for doubting me, Gary."

"No problem. Do you know what would go best with this, though?"

"What?"

"A nice bottle of wine," he said with a grin, and then stood up from the table. "Wait here—I'll go get it."

Leaf watched him disappear from the dining room briefly to grab a bottle of wine from the kitchen. A moment later, he returned with an expensive-looking bottle, filled with dark red liquid, and two wine glasses. He handed her one and placed one in front of his seat before pouring them each a suitable amount and placing the bottle on the table. He sat back down in his seat just as she lifted her glass by its stem, raising it to him.

"Happy birthday," she smiled.

"Thank you," he said, smiling back as he lifted his own glass to meet hers.

They clinked.

Once the meal was over, Gary volunteered to walk Leaf back to her room. She willingly obliged, feeling quite elated at everything that had happened so far that night. But just when she was beginning to think that things couldn't have gone any better, the atmosphere. After she suggested they spend the remaining ten minutes of his birthday watching the stars out on the balcony of the lab, his mood shifted. The smile on his face slightly fell as he leaned against the railing on his elbows, a frown slowly taking its place.

It didn't take long for her to notice after she tried to coax another conversation out of him.

"What's wrong, Gary?" she asked.

He seemed to ignore her question.

"Did you know that I confessed to May on a balcony on New Year's Eve?" he asked instead.

Leaf felt disappointment flood her. She had almost forgotten of his feelings for May, and the unwanted reminder brought along just-as-unwanted pain. Pressing her lips together, she leaned back on her elbows on the railing beside him, facing the opposite direction that he was.

After throwing her ponytail over one shoulder, she looked over at him.

"What exactly happened that night?" she reluctantly asked, ignoring her mind's objections in order to satisfy her heart's desire to know.

Gary looked out at the night view of Pallet Town, as if searching for strength to recall that night's events. He decided to go with the shortest summary possible.

"At that time, I was going through a lot," he began. "There were some problems at the lab—I'm sure you remember that—and the looming possibility that I could actually lose my grandpa, my only family member left at the time, eventually got to me, and I went looking for some comfort. I thought that I could find it with May, but then I remembered that she was with Drew, and I just—"

He struggled for a moment, frowning slightly as he looked down.

"I don't know what happened, but I suddenly found it appropriate to tell her how I felt about her," he continued. "Needless to say, the outcome did not turn out the way that I wanted it to. And when I received the call from you about my grandpa, I nearly lost it. I still regret going to her that night—I shouldn't have gone. I should have stayed with my grandfather instead of attempting something that was obviously so fruitless. It didn't bring any good for anyone."

Leaf looked away from him to force back the tears that had glossed over her eyes. She couldn't get over the awful feeling that she felt over the fact that _she _couldn't be the one that Gary had gone to in order to confide in for comfort during that period.

She still remembered that night quite vividly as well—the call she had to make to Gary to tell him that his grandfather was about to die. It was one of the hardest things she had ever had to do—announce the upcoming death of her mentor—and she felt like crying just by remembering that feeling again. Losing the professor had been hard on her, too. But unlike Gary, she hadn't had anyone to turn to for comfort.

"You still miss them, don't you?" she eventually asked when she could muster up the courage to speak again.

Gary nodded.

"Naturally, yes," he answered. "I'll never stop missing my grandpa—he will always be the most important person in my heart—and it's hard to forget a love that's been around that long. But I know when I should be letting go." He paused for moment as he gazed off into the distance. "It's just hard sometimes, that's all."

When Leaf just nodded in reply, he directed his black eyes from the town to her.

"What about you?" he asked her. "Do you miss him? My grandpa?"

"Of course I do," she responded without hesitation. "He was more than just my mentor—he was like my father as well. He was the only person on this world that I could trust, and it wasn't easy to let him go at all. I wish he could come back all the time."

Gary swallowed to get rid of the lump in his throat. He understood her feeling completely. Then, he was suddenly reminded of something.

"Is that the reason why you're staying at the lab? And why you were talking to his picture earlier today?" he queried.

Leaf's eyebrows furrowed and she immediately looked over at him. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw you asking for him to come back in one of the research rooms today. Remember? You had a stack of binders in your arms."

Understanding dawned on Leaf as she remembered doing so. She was surprised that he had saw her; she hadn't even noticed him. But what he didn't know was that it wasn't Professor Oak that she was talking about. Not the one he was thinking of, anyway.

"I wasn't talking about your grandfather, Gary," she told him slowly. "I was talking about you."

Gary abruptly turned to look at her.

"Me?" he asked, as bewildered as he was confused. "Why me? I didn't go anywhere."

Leaf sighed and closed her eyes briefly.

"That's what you think," she whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"You think that you haven't gone anywhere, but I think you have. I don't know if you've noticed, but it seems like you haven't been yourself since your grandfather died. You've been acting differently—not at all like your old self before he died. It's like you're not...fully here. Like your mind is elsewhere," she explained.

"Seriously?" he asked, his eyes slightly widened in shock.

She nodded.

"That's the main reason why I'm staying at the lab, Gary," she clarified, turning her head to look over at him. "I'm not just staying for your grandfather. I'm staying, because I keep hoping that you're going to come back one day."

Gary stood nonplussed. His mouth was slightly agape as he took in her observation and clarification. His question had been answered, but he was now left with something else to think about. He was unable to decide whether he was more surprised at himself for not noticing anything at all, or at her for noticing so much. How was it possible that she noticed so much about him?

Knowing that he wouldn't be saying anything to her for a while, Leaf lifted her wrist to her face. Using the other hand to pull back the sleeve of her lab coat, she checked her watch.

"Well, there's two minutes left of your birthday," she said to break the silence, and dropped her wrist. "Happy birthday, Gary. I think I'm going to turn in for the night."

With a sigh, she pushed away from the balcony to head back into the lab, leaving him behind to his thoughts.

That night, when she went to bed, she was surprised to find that the ache in her heart was gone.

Instead, she was left to ponder over the night's events—just as he was—and what it meant for the road ahead of them.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Well, I hope you all enjoyed that. Was it good enough? I've never read any fics with Leaf in it before, so I don't really know how I wanted to portray her, so I just came up with this. It was so difficult to write Oldrivalshipping, but I hope it'll suffice since you're all going to have to make due with this chapter until I can think of a good plot for the Oldrivalshipping spinoff. They haven't become an official couple yet, but they're well on their way there. If you're filled with questions about Leaf's history, you'll have to wait for the answers in the spinoff.

Please be patient with me until then. I promise I'll do my best to make your wait worthwhile. :) Stay tuned for the final chapter next weekend! It will be up extra early since I'm nearly finished—I promise! :D


	42. The Epilogue

**Update August 2013: **This chapter has been updated and revised from its original version. Past errors have been fixed and adjustments have been made but the plot of the chapter, characters, and events have remained the same.

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><p>I told you guys I'd get this up earlier than usual. :) I'll save everything I want to say for the final author's note, though. You guys can just get to reading the epilogue. We'll get to the mushy stuff later. :P<p>

Happy reading! Please be sure to leave a review for the final chapter of _Love Unexpected_! It's finally over guys, so have fun reading the epilogue!

I can't believe this is the last time that I'm going to be doing a "Responses to Reviews" for this story. Wah. I'll miss doing these. -_- I'll just settle for PMing you all! :)

**_Responses to Reviews...  
>theasianwonder:<em>**_ Oh my gosh, I am obsessed with that song!  
><em>_**berriesxcakes101:**__ Thank you. :)  
><em>_**Mistress of Madness:**__ I sure hope so!  
><em>_**Chaerin:**__ Haha, it's alright! I'm sorry I made you cry! Love stories are so sad sometimes. :( -hugs back-  
><em>_**Catrina7077:**__ Lol, thanks for pointing that out. I forgot what color Leaf's eyes are, so I just went with blue. I changed it. xD  
><em>_**shanasakura-scarlet21:**__ Haha! No, they weren't drunk enough to do anything. xD You'll have to see what happens with them in the spinoff. Nope, this chapter's the last one!  
><em>_**61wisampa:**__ No, this is the last chapter. :) Oh goodness, I've been meaning to play FireRed again whenever I get the chance! I love the GameBoy_ Pokémon_ games!  
><em>_**Pear-Shaped:**__ Thank you very much. :)  
><em>_**The Last Poison Apple:**__ Aw geez, I'm glad I didn't get a chance to experience that then! I really wish I could ride a skytrain again, though. I love them. xD  
><em>_**Claudette14:**__ Mhm, this is the last one. :( I know, and I want to thank you so much! I remember that you were my first person to review for this story, too!  
><em>_**MyRedRibbon:**__ I'm glad you understood. :) Ahh, I always read stories on my phone, too! It kind of doubles as my Nook.  
><em>_**SparksFly'SkyHigh:**__ I'm sure we've all been Leaf before. I remember when I was, and boy was it hard! Geez Louis. Wait...aren't there only six billion people in the world? How are there seven billion young adults? xD  
><em>_**mistress:**__ Hm, I'm not sure I like the idea of her being clueless, naive, and or clumsy—that's more of May's thing. xD But thank you for your help!  
><em>_**leontinees:**__ I'm glad I could make you happy! :D I think I like the third description of Leaf that you gave me; it's the most similar to my portrayal of her. Thanks!  
><em>_**Inkorporated:**__ It really isn't; you can't even begin to imagine how difficult it was. :\ But thank you for all that you said! I'm so happy that you were right. :D  
><em>_**Fprmr1:**__ I know! I'm feeling mixed emotions right now haha.  
><em>_**contestshippingrose:**__ Thank you. :)  
><em>_**LoveLoverGrl:**__ I know! :D  
><em>_**LyraGlaceonVulpix:**__ Thanks!  
><em>_**SunshineTails:**__ It's okay! Thank you so much for all of your support! I hope I can think of a plot for the spinoff soon because I can't wait to write a story for you lovely readers again! :D  
><em>_**Guest:**__ :D  
><em>_**dorkyreader859:**__ Lol, I think I'll have to join you in doing both—I'm going to miss this story. Thank you! :D  
><em>_**Luving Randomness:**__ I adore her here, too. I think I'm going to stick with this characterization of her. :D  
><em>_**Contestshippingf:**__ Oh, I knew that. I just didn't know if I should have written it out since your display name comes up as "Contestshippingf".  
><em>_**LillieGhoul:**__ Oh my, thank you for all of the reviews that you gave me! I appreciated each and every single one! :D  
><em>_**eeveeluvr:**__ Thank you!  
><em>_**LoveIsMayxDrewAndAshxMisty:**__I'll try to check it out whenever I can find some spare time to do so. :)  
><em>_**Sora-May: **__Thank you! :)  
><em>_**KK:**__ Same! I've never read it either, but now that I've just written a whole chapter for it, I actually kind of like it. :D  
><em>_**OrangesAreAwesome:**__ Yes, I'd love to become an author someday. :D  
><em>_**parkhyunjae:**__ Haha, I understand. Thank you very much for your support! :)_

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><p><strong>Love Unexpected Epilogue: A Promise to Keep<strong>

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><p><em>A year later...<em>

Every seat in the Lilycove City Contest Hall Arena was filled with eager spectators of the annual Grand Festival. They roared in anticipation as Lilian Meridian pumped up the suspense of the last semifinal match by speaking excitedly into the microphone. The first two minutes of the match had been brutal, and it was only getting better as the remaining time ticked down.

The two female coordinators, who had been matched up to battle against each other, commanded their pokémon from their respective sides of the battlefield. They spared the large display screen a glance in order to get an idea of how much time they had left to wrap things up. Afterward, they glanced across the battlefield at one another. Blue eyes met teal ones, and the two girls smiled—a smile that still managed to remain friendly despite the competitiveness in the air.

They only had three minutes left of the battle.

"About time to wrap this up," Brianna muttered to herself. Then, she called to her pokémon, "Butterfree! Shadow Ball!"

Butterfree gracefully flew high towards the ceiling of the arena. It fluttered further and further away as it conjured a growing sphere of black and purple hues. Once the sphere reached an ample size, the pokémon let it loose from where it was in the air, sending it flying toward its opponent.

"Wartortle, quick, use Dig!" May hurriedly cried.

Wartortle quickly did as told. With its chubby indigo blue arms swinging violently, it swiftly dug through the surface of the ground beneath it, creating a hole large enough for it to fit through. It continued to burrow deeper into the ground just as the Shadow Ball slammed into the pokémon's prior location.

All was silent as Butterfree cautiously lowered itself closer toward the ground in an attempt to see if it could get an idea of Wartortle's location. But even as the timer slowly ticked down to the final two minutes, Butterfree just couldn't get a stable reading on Wartortle's location, no matter how close it was getting to the ground. And with every passing second, it was running the risk of a surprise attack.

When even more time passed and Butterfree continued to come up empty, Brianna finally began to grow impatient.

"Butterfree, brace yourself for a surprise attack. Start preparing a Solarbeam," she instructed her pokémon.

Butterfree did as told and began to gather energy from the sunlight that seeped into the room through the glass dome on the ceiling. A small, white ball took form in between its blue hands and steadily grew larger as it waited.

May's lips curled up into a grin. She delighted in the fact that she currently had the upper hand in the battle, even if Brianna was one of her best friends. The two had promised one another that they wouldn't hold back and that they would try the best to win, so May was going to do just that. Determination fueled her every move.

When the time was right, she called her attack.

"Now, Wartortle, Water Pledge!"

A magnificent column of water exploded out of the ground, surprising everyone with its force. It shot straight up in the air until it hit its mark: Butterfree. Slamming into its target, it sent the pokémon spiraling down to the ground.

The crowd roared as Wartortle dug its way back up onto the surface. It donned a proud smile on its face as it watched with satisfaction as its opponent descended to the ground.  
>The final minute began to tick down, and May looked like she would, in fact, be the victor.<p>

But then, something unexpected happened. Butterfree suddenly changed course and instead, began to spiral toward the column of water. With streaks of white trailing from behind it, it propelled itself right through the rapid waves, almost a blur to the audience.  
>It rushed toward Wartortle, tricking everyone into believing that it would strike with its Aerial Ace.<p>

But right before it hit Wartortle in the stomach, Brianna called her command, and it pulled back, only to throw forth a net of electricity.

Wartortle cried out as the Electroweb seized it, nearly zapping it into oblivion. It writhed in pain as May's points dwindled down, steadily putting her behind Brianna. Only fifteen seconds were left, and all May could do was watch helplessly as her poor pokémon was zapped.

The column of water exploded, drenching the battlefield in water, while Wartortle continued to writhe in pain. May fumbled around in her head to think a quick way to save Warortle before it was too late. She did _not_ get so far in the Grand Festival, only to go down so easily. She needed to think of something _fast_.

And then, it hit her.

"Wartortle, quick, Water Spout!" she commanded.

Wartortle cried out—whether in pain or determination, no one was sure—and withdrew into the safety of its hard shell. Then, it began to spin rapidly, lifting itself slightly off the ground.

A brief second passed before water spouted out from every opening in the shell. All six funnels of water merged into one as Wartortle spun itself around. With immense speed and force, it rushed toward Butterfree, who could not dodge in time.

The water smashed into its target, and this time, Butterfree was sent spiraling all the way down to the ground. Dust erupted from where the pokémon slammed down hard to the ground. It cleared a brief moment later to reveal an unconscious Butterfree just as the timer went off, signaling an end to the match.

"What a brilliant move on May's part!" Lilian exclaimed into her microphone. "She knew that the weaker Wartortle was, the stronger its Water Spout would be! She used the weakening Electroweb to her advantage and came up lucky—Butterfree's out cold!

"With this victory, she will be advancing on to the final round! Get ready for a show, but let's allow our lovely brunette coordinator a chance to freshen up, shall we? I'm sure you wouldn't mind a short bathroom break, right? The final battle will begin in seven minutes, so be on time, folks!"

The crowd applauded May for her victory, as well as Brianna for her effort, as the two coordinators withdrew their pokémon. When they were done with that, they crossed the battlefield and pulled each other in for a hug, showing each other and the audience that while only one of them had emerged victorious, there were no hard feelings between them. They were still friends, and the audience applauded them even more for their good sportsmanship.

The two ladies smiled graciously at the crowd as they walked off the stage together. The applause followed them as they walked to the back rooms before it ceased as they closed the door behind them.

Silence filled the air as they went to their respective lockers to grab their clothes. For Brianna, she was changing back into her casual clothes, while May got ready to change into the dress that she would be wearing for the final round. Then, they walked to their own individual changing stall and closed the doors.

More silence followed as both girls hung up their change of clothes in order to get out of the dresses that they were currently wearing. There was a bit of the rustling sound of fabric as the dresses were stripped off and the clicking sound of heels as they were taken off. More silence ensued after that as the girls began to put on their other clothes before May finally found the courage to break the silence.

"Are you okay, Brianna?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Brianna sighed as she slid on her jeans. "Just a little bummed, that's all."

"I'm sorry, Bri," May said remorsefully, while she zipped up the back of her new dress. "I wished we didn't have to go against each other."

"Ah, don't worry about it, May. I don't mind losing that much."

May raised an eyebrow as she stepped into her change of heels. "You don't?"

Brianna shook her head despite May not being able to see her.

"Nope, because you're my friend," she declared, her voice free of any bitter emotions while she slipped her cape tee over her head. "I don't mind losing if I lost to a friend. You deserved to win, and it's not like this was the first time you beat me, anyways, so why should I mind?"

The redhead paused as she exited her changing room. She resumed speaking as she went back to her locker to replace the garments into her bag.

"Besides, there's always next year's festival. I'll be sure to kick your butt then," she promised with a cheeky grin.

"Well, I agree with you on that. And there's also a bunch of other contests in the following year—you're bound to kick my butt eventually," May agreed with a hearty laugh as she came out of her own fitting room.

"That's right," Brianna sang in agreement as she swung her bag over her shoulder and turned to face May.

The redhead's teal eyes widened remarkably as she took in the sight of her gorgeous brunette friend. She stepped closer in her leather boots whilst she looked the brunette up and down.

"Natalie was right—black suits you. I like those shoes, too," she grinned, her teal eyes twinkling deviously as they slowly traveled back up to meet May's. "Drew won't stand a chance against you while you're wearing that. He'll be too busy drooling."

The brunette threw her head back as she busted out laughing. "You're ridiculous, Brianna."

"Isn't that why you love me?" Brianna joked.

"Hm, perhaps," May mused, and then she grinned, nudging the redhead playfully on the arm. "Maybe that's why Brendan loves you, too. I saw him cheering you on in the stands. You two lovebirds."

Brianna guffawed as May accidentally nudged her in the rib, a ticklish spot of hers. She swatted her friend's hand away playfully and used it to turn the brunette around in the direction of the door. Placing two hands on the May's exposed upper back, she guided the girl to the door.

"Aw, shut up and get over there to see Drew before the big match," she urged. "Give him a glimpse of you so that you can use teasing to your advantage while you guys battle."

"And how exactly will I do that?" May laughed as she stopped in front of the closed door of the men's back room.

"It'll come naturally to you just like it comes naturally to me."

"Oh, it comes naturally to you? So, you tease Brendan? How scandalous."

Brianna waggled her eyebrows mockingly, while May laughed and wrapped her hand around the handle of the door. With a cute laugh, she wished May good luck and headed off in the direction of the stands to find Brendan.

May watched her go with a shake of her head before twisting the handle and entering the room. She found Drew standing with his back to her, looking quite handsome in his black blazer and dark wash jeans, as he watched the contents on the display screen. She smiled to herself as she began to approach him.

"Ready for the final battle?" she asked her boyfriend.

"Sure. And it looks like I'm up against you, babe," he responded with a smirk.

May hummed thoughtfully, while crossing her arms over her chest.

"I suppose so," she agreed, and then she grinned. "You do remember what I promised you last year, though, right? On the roof of your LaRousse house?"

Drew shrugged as he failed to recall the words.

"I told you I'd kick your butt at this year's Grand Festival. Ready to get your butt kicked?"

Drew smirked to himself, and began to look over at her.

"What makes you so sure that you're going to—"

He cut off his sentence with a groan when his eyes made their way down her body.

"Aw, May!" he exclaimed, making her raise an eyebrow at him. "How am I supposed to battle you when you're wearing that?"

May cocked an eyebrow in order to feign bemusement as she looked down at her black dress. Her pink lips pressed together to hold back a smile as she assessed her own body.

Her dress was a simple piece, without any fancy appliqués or embellishments, and descended down to the ground. Even with her four-inch baby pink heels on, which were embellished by large roses on the front, the length still grazed the floor. But with the three particular details about the dress, it still amped up her appearance and made her look a lot more sexy and elegant than a plain black gown would.

The first was the sweetheart neckline. It accentuated her bust nicely, giving her chest area a softened and feminine look. Meanwhile, two straps trailed up from her armpits to tie a ribbon behind her neck, hidden behind her straightened brown hair, which made her look more mature and sophisticated.

The second were the two cut-outs on either of her hips. They were both triangle-shaped, giving her an illusion of an even smaller waist, while the black color of the dress assisted in flattering the rest of her svelte figure.

The third and final detail was in the skirt. A single slit ran down the side, exposing her entire right leg from the middle of her thigh down to her feet. With this detail and the black color, her legs appeared even longer than usual.

May slowly brought her blue eyes back up, which were made sultry by her taupe smokey eye and the black eye shadow that extended past her eyes to give them a more smoldered look. They twinkled playfully as she began to brazenly twist her body around as if to check out her backside, when in reality, she was just teasing her boyfriend.

He was still gawking at her in awe, marveling over how incredibly well she filled out the dress. His eyes became saucers as he got an eyeful of her as she presented her a bit of her backside to him, and he groaned.

May's lips twitched as she turned back around to look at him.

"Why do you say that?" she asked, feigning innocence. "What's wrong with it?"

"You're going to distract me!" Drew cried.

"You'll be fine! At least it's a lot less distracting than the other black dress I wore to that party we went to last New Year's."

"That's not fair," he deadpanned as he fought to not recall the memory. She looked enticing enough as it was.

May simply shrugged as she began to walk out of the room.

"And that's not my problem. Just battle me as you would if I weren't wearing this at all," she responded.

Drew barely managed to hold back another groan.

"Like that's of any help," he complained. "Now, I have to battle you with the image of you without any clothes on in my head, you sly minx."

May resisted the urge to laugh aloud. She couldn't, however, resist the urge to tease him.

"Such a dirty mind, Drew," she teased as she turned around to look at him, suppressing a grin at his strained expression. "Tell you what, though—if you manage to beat me, I may just give you something as a reward."

Drew's eyes widened immensely at her suggestive remark. "What kind of reward?"

She simply shrugged and turned around to continue on her way out of the back room. She paused underneath the doorway to peek over her shoulder at him.

"I'll let you decide what you want," she said, and then walked away for good.

Drew hurried after her.

The crowd went wild the moment the two coordinators stepped into view, while Lilian spoke excitedly into her microphone to get them more pumped up. Girls screamed and guys hollered, the anticipation to see the upcoming battle building.

Drew smirked superciliously as he strode to his side of the battlefield, drinking in the noise of the crowd. He caught sight of his girlfriend smiling sweetly and waving at the crowd from the corner of his eye, and turned his head to look at her.

She met his eyes with a devious glint.

"Remember what I said, Drew," she reminded him as she passed by him to get to her side of the field.

Drew smirked at her and waited until she turned to face him to respond.

"Don't worry, May," he assured as he took a PokéBall out of his pocket. "I'll remember _every_ word you said."

May smirked back at him and unhooked a PokéBall from her gold charm bracelet without another comment. The look in her eyes said enough.

"Alright, everyone! Get ready for the final battle of this year's Grand Festival between Andrew Hayden and May Maple!" Lilian exclaimed excitedly into the microphone, pumping up the crowd with her words once more. They roared in response, and she went on, "Coordinators! Get your pokémon ready!"

Both coordinators enlarged their PokéBalls and threw them forth, smirks still present on their faces. Their pokémon of choice appeared in a white flash and readied their stances.

"Let the battle begin!"

The battle commenced.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> And there we go! The actual last chapter of _Love Unexpected_! It's actually over now, and I must say, I'm going to miss updating every week. :\ I can't believe I actually finished a story! This is a first! And I reached over 200,000 words as well! Geez!

Now, I can't say goodbye (for this story, that is) without expressing my thanks to each and every single one of you for all of the support you've given this story, because I never would've gotten as far if it weren't for you all! The reading, the favoriting, the following, and especially the reviewing! Even more gratitude to those who have stuck with this story from beginning to end, and tons more to those who reviewed for every single chapter! You all know who you are, so I don't have to list you all because I would be running the risk of missing one of you. Couldn't do that now, can I?

I never could've reached 1,000 reviews without you all, and I can't tell you how thankful I am! You're all the absolute best, and I enjoyed reading every single review just as I appreciated them all! I honestly didn't start this story thinking that I would reach 1,000 reviews, but you all made that possible. I couldn't have asked for any better readers. :D

I don't think I'm going to be writing a sequel for this story, though, because I really like where it ended. I'll do my best with the Oldrivalshipping spinoff. That is, whenever I can think of a sufficient plotline. I'm glad you guys were happy with the last chapter. It was my first attempt at Oldrivalshipping and I must say, I'm happy with the outcome and response. I was definitely inspired to get going on that Oldrivalshipping spinoff. Thanks to all who tried to help me come up with a good portrayal of Leaf. I think I know what I'm going to do with her. :)

However, I may or may not be MIA on Fanfiction for the next month or so due to the three books I have to annotate for AP English next year (ugh -_-) and the rewrite for my other Contestshipping fic, _Absol. _But I have another Contestshipping fic planned afterward! Most of the plot is already set in stone, but if I think of the whole Oldrivalshipping plot before I finish _Absol_, I'll definitely get the Oldrivalshipping fic up first right after _Absol _is completed. To be alerted when these fics are published, feel free to follow me as an author.

With all of that said, I really don't know what to say other than _thank_ _you_ again. Thank you _all _for everything, my amazing readers, and I hope to receive the same amount of support for any future stories I write! I love you all, and thank you all again! Bye (for now)!


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